India's state-controlled Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has initiated the development of at least three marginal oil and gas fields off the country's west coast. This move is aimed at boosting production from its flagship offshore assets, which are maturing and require redevelopment to sustain output. The strategy supports India's broader goal of enhancing domestic production for energy security.

Current Tender for Marginal Field Development

ONGC recently issued tender documents seeking bids from leading domestic and international contractors for an offshore engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract. The contract, described as mid-sized, involves the installation of four new wellhead platforms across three fields and is expected to attract strong competition, with bids likely to be submitted in February.

Platform Specifications and Locations

The development plan includes the following platforms in shallow water depths ranging from 28 to 35 meters:

• One wellhead platform (NAAP) at Block MB-OSN-2005/1 in the Daman and Saurashtra shallow water basin.
• One wellhead platform (BS-17-1) at the BS-17 asset in the Mumbai offshore basin's Heera-Panna Bassein block.
• Two platforms (SD-4-3 and SD-4-4) at the marginal SD-4 asset in the Tapti-Daman block, located in the north-east of the western offshore basin.

Additional Development Projects

Separate from this tender, at least three contractors are pursuing another EPC contract from ONGC for the additional development of the Ratna & R-Series (ADR-I) and NLM-14 oil and gas projects.

Strategic Importance

ONGC's west coast assets are central to its long-term strategy. The company plans significant investment in multiple upcoming projects in the region to maximize output from its maturing fields.