Hyderabad: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) is preparing to invest Rs 8,110 crore for the onshore development and extraction of oil and gas from 172 wells across eight production mining license (PML) blocks in Andhra Pradesh. A committee from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has endorsed Environmental Clearance for the initiative during a meeting last month. The estimated cost for the project is Rs 8,110 crore, which includes a capital expenditure of Rs 172 crore for the Environment Management Plan (EMP) and an annual recurring expense of Rs 91.16 crore for the EMP.
The industry also intends to allocate Rs 11 crore for commitments made during the Public Hearing, as noted by the Expert Appraisal Committee in the meeting minutes. In endorsing the EC, the committee mandated that ONGC adhere to all environmental protection measures and safeguards outlined in the submitted documents. Furthermore, all recommendations from the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and EMP regarding environmental management and risk mitigation must be executed.
It also stated that, as previously committed, no wells will be established within 10 km of the eco-sensitive region of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, following the No Objection Certificate issued in May this year, and no pipelines or related infrastructure will be constructed in forest land or protected areas without prior authorization from the competent authority.