ONGC Videsh Limited, on 31^st May, 2016, completed the acquisition of 15% equity from Rosneft Oil Company, in CSJC Vankorneft, owner of Vankor Field and North Vankor license. ONGC Videsh is also in the process of acquiring additional 11% stake in Vankorneft. Vankor is Rosneft’s (and Russia’s) second largest field by production and accounts for 4% of Russian crude oil production. The daily peak production from the field is around 421,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd).

Mr. Narendra K Verma, Managing Director alongwith other officials from ONGC Videsh visited the Vankor field on 10^th and 11^th October 2016. Mr. Verma was warmly received at the Kransnoyarsk airport by Vankor Team led by General Director Arakady Vladimirovich Kuznetsov.

General Director Arakady Vladimirovich Kuznetsov welcoming MD at Kransnoyarsk airport

Later the ONGC Videsh team was taken to a small town called Igarka, around 2 hours by flight north from Kransnoyarsk. Thereafter the team was taken to Vankor by Helicopter. Due to the terrain and weather conditions, there are no road linkages from Vankor fields to mainland Russia.

The ONGC Videsh team alongwith General Director Arakady Vladimirovich Kuznetsov, Chief Engineer Dmitry Viktorovich Filimonov and Chief Geologist Aleksandr Valerievich Sorokin took an aerial tour of Vankor facilities and Vankor clusters.

Aerial Survey of Vankor fields

To the north of Vankor is Suzun cluster where around 42 active well are producing 75000 bopd. Lodochnoye which is to the south of Vankor is under development and plan is to start production in 2018. Tagul also south to Vankor is also under advanced development where multiple pads are under preparation and drilling is ongoing with first production expected in 2017. The team also saw the Vankor – Purpe pipeline. Thereafter, the team took an aerial tour of Vankor facilities.

MD with Vankor Team at Vankor Helibase

Later in the evening, the team visited the south free water knock out facilities, followed by a visit to a well pad number 4 with 9 producers and 5 injectors. The delegation was then taken to the Central Processing Facilities and the main pumping station.

MD with Vankor Team at a Vankor Well Pad

MD with Vankor Team at a Vankor Well Pad

In the evening, a detailed presentation was made by the Vankor management team to Mr. Verma which was followed by discussions on the various facets of field operations.

MD with Vankor Management in Vankorneft Board Room in field

On the way back the delegation visited town of Igarka along with Oleg Degtyaryov, Head of Regional Government Relations Department, who accompanied the delegation to the Museum of Permafrost in Igarka and also discussed Vankor’s community development activities to support local population.

MD recording his views at Igarka

ओएनजीसी विदेश लिमिटेड में 14 से 28 सितम्बर, 2016 तक हिन्दी पखवाड़े का आयोजन किया गया।

इस पखवाड़े के दौरान प्रबंध निदेशक के संदेश का वैबसाइट पर प्रचार किया गया तथा विभिन्न हिन्दी प्रतियोगिताओं जैसे कार्यालयीन कार्य हिन्दी में करने, निबंध, नारा लेखन, प्रश्नमंच, सुलेख, श्रुतिलेख, कविता पाठ, आशुभाषण एवं अन्य प्रतियोगिताओं का आयोजन किया गया जिसमें कार्मिकों ने उत्साहपूर्वक भाग लिया। कार्यालय में हिन्दी के बैनर लगाए गए। 28 सितम्बर को साँय 4.00 बजे 45 सीटर सम्मेलन कक्ष मे हिन्दी पखवाड़े का भव्य समापन समारोह एवं पुरस्कार वितरण समारोह का आयोजन किया गया जिसमें प्रबंध निदेशक ने सभी कार्मिकों को प्रतियोगिताओ में भाग लेने पर एवं पुरस्कार प्राप्त करने पर बधाई दी । उन्होंने कार्मिकों को संबोधित करते हुए कम्पनी में लागू प्रोत्साहन योजनाओ की जानकारी हासिल करने तथा इन योजनाओं का अधिक से अधिक लाभ उठाने का अनुरोध किया । उन्होंने भारत सरकार की राजभाषा नीति के तहत कार्मिकों के संवैधानिक दायित्त्वो पर भी प्रकाश डाला।

समारोह के मंच का सफलतापूर्वक संचालन श्री अजीत कुमार देशवाल, कार्यकारी निदेशक ने किया ।

हिन्दी दिवस के अवसर पर ओएनजीसी विदेश लिमिटेड के दिल्ली कार्यालय में राजभाषा पखवाड़ा का उद्घाटन किया गया। इस अवसर पर मंच का संचालन करते हुए श्री अजीत कुमार देशवाल, कार्यकारी निदेशक  ने मंचासीन अधिकारियों सहित सभी उपस्थित कार्मिकों का स्वागत किया। उन्होंने कार्मिकों को अधिकाधिक हिन्दी में कार्य करने हेतु प्रोत्साहित किया।

हिन्दी पखवाड़े का उद्घाटन करते समय श्री पी. के. राव, निदेशक (प्रचालन) ने कहा कि ओवीएल में हिंदीमय वातावरण बनाने के लिए सभी कार्मिकों का सतत व सराहनीय योगदान है। उन्होंने संसदीय राजभाषा समिति द्वारा उपलब्ध कराई गई प्रश्नावली में तथ्यपूर्ण आंकड़े दिये जाने का सुझाव भी दिया। हम अगर पूरा वर्ष हिन्दी में कार्य करते रहें तो माननीय समिति को उपलब्ध कराई जाने वाली जानकारी में काफी बढ़ोतरी हो सकती है। साथ ही यह भी सुझाव दिया कि हमें हस्ताक्षर हिन्दी में ही करने चाहिए।

   श्री सुधीर शर्मा, निदेशक (अन्वेषण) ने इस अवसर पर हिन्दी पखवाड़ा आयोजन के सफल होने तथा अपने कामकाज में अधिकाधिक सरल एवं आम बोलचाल की हिन्दी के प्रयोग को बढ़ाने का सुझाव दिया। श्री सुधीर शर्मा ने इस बात का भी उल्लेख किया कि पहली बार ओएनजीसी विदेश की बोर्ड मीटिंग मे मूल रूप से हिन्दी में एजेंडा प्रस्तुत किया गया।उन्होंने मानव संसाधन विभाग द्वारा बताए जा रहे कॉर्पोरेट ब्रोथर को हिन्दी में भी बनाने का सुझाव दिया।

श्री विवेकानन्द, निदेशक (वित्त) ने अपने उद्गार प्रकट करते हुए कहा कि राजभाषा नीति का कार्यान्वयन किसी एक अधिकारी या कार्मिक का दायित्व नहीं है, इसमें सभी का सहयोग अपेक्षित है। इसके साथ ही श्री विवेकानन्द ने ओएनजीसी विदेश में पहली बार ई-मेल में नाम हिन्दी में किए जाने की सराहना की।

श्री अजीत कुमार देशवाल ने पहली बार ई-मेल में नाम हिन्दी में किए जाने के लिए सुश्री प्रीति चौधरी, राजभाषा अधिकारी की सराहना की।

हिन्दी पखवाड़ा समारोह के उद्घाटन के पश्चात् सुलेख एवं आशुभाषण प्रतियोगिताओं का आयोजन किया गया जिसमें कार्मिकों ने उत्साहपूर्वक भाग लिया।

As Mr Satpal Garg remitted office of Director (Finance), ONGC Videsh on August 31, 2016, the memory lane was inundated with narratives of a career that was illustrious and eventful. Notwithstanding the deluge that brought the capital city to a standstill, ONGC Videsh Delhi office was choc-a-bloc with colleagues who had come to bid adieu to Mr Garg.

The farewell event began with a presentation on the milestones and initiatives in his 34 year long remarkable career.

In his address, Mr Garg recounted with great satisfaction his association with ONGC and ONGC Videsh. He reminisced the same also in his email to all employees of ONGC Videsh, “My association with ONGC Videsh started in September 2008, when I joined as Director (Finance). The crude oil is a very volatile commodity as prices touched peak of US $147/bbl and within 6 months by January 2009, they were about US $33/bbl. The first learning of crest and trough of cash flows that an International Oil Company is subjected to and managing the costs and acquisitions within the resource base with the intention to have a global foot print. We are back to the same level after seeing a high and stable price of above US $100/bbl from 2010 to 2014. Prices started declining in 2014 and touched a low of US $26/bbl. During this period, I am glad to have been part of the vibrant and dynamic team which not only successfully ventured through the tough times but also saw its profit reaching the zenith during 2013-14 and production crossing 200K boepd mark, post-acquisition of Vankor.”

Mr NK Verma, MD, ONGC Videsh, calling him one of the four pillars of ONGC Videsh, said, “Mr SP Garg steered the financial lineup during the period of maximum growth. He scanned, assessed, and sifted the assets like Imperial Energy, Azerbaijan, Mozambique meticulously and contributed immensely. His exemplary performance added another dimension to financial management in ONGC Videsh.”

Mr Verma underlined the difference in the basic tenets of finance and exploration. “We had ample differences on many fronts. It is by training that finance thinks linearly while as an explorationist, we are trained to think laterally. There is a value for both. I wish we had more time for collaboration, “ he rued.

He enjoined upon the finance team, with the new leader Mr Vivekanand at the helm, to work cohesively and in an integrated manner so that ONGC Videsh takes that leap from being a junior partner to a majority operator.

Mr PK Rao, Director (Operations) in his address said, “In the last two years of my association with Mr SP Garg, we had  a great working relationship. His 8-year tenure as the Director Finance saw many mega acquisitions. We will be missing his guidance.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sudhir Sharma, Director (Exploration) highlighted the fact that Mr Garg has been the longest serving director on the board of ONGC Videsh.” He has seen the company transform from a Schedule B company to Schedule A company and many remarkable acquisitions. He joined in 2008 when we closed the Imperial deal and today when this year he will have the satisfaction of closing the Vankor deal,” he said.

Setting the tone for the farewell event, Mr Vivekanad appreciated the support that was always forthcoming from Mr Garg.

Today, Mr Vivekanand  has just assumed the charge as the new Director (Finance) of ONGC Videsh. He brings over three decades of experience as Finance and Accounting professional in the upstream oil and gas industry both in domestic and international operations.

He has handled the whole gamut of finance functions such as Treasury, Taxation, Budgeting, Accounting, Internal Audit, Marketing, Risk Management, Business Process Re-engineering, etc. He has played key roles in financing campaigns of ONGC Videsh raising financing of nearly USD 6 billion in the last three years.

As the business scion Narayan Murthy famously said, “When you run a part of the relay and pass on the baton, there is no sense of unfinished business in your mind. There is just the sense of having done your part to the best of your ability. That is it. The hope is to pass on the baton to somebody who will run faster and run a better marathon.”

ONGC Videsh is geared up for the marathon!

Mr. P.K Rao, Director (Operations), ONGC Videsh visited Moscow and Tomsk of Russian Federation and reviewed the newly acquired Asset Vankorneft and Imperial Energy during 3^rd to 5^th August, 2016. He was accompanied by Mr. K.S. Pandey, Regional President- Russia Business Unit of ONGC Videsh. At Moscow, he met with Mr. Eric Maurice Liron; First Vice President of Rosneft, the major shareholder of JV Vankorneft. This was the first meeting of Director (Operations) with the top management of the company, post-acquisition and important critical issues were discussed to fine-tune the operational modalities of the Asset keeping in view the interest of ONGC Videsh. Vankorneft, with its current production of 440,000 bopd is the biggest contributor to ONGC Videsh production with our share of 15%.

The two days’ meeting with the top management of Imperial Energy at Tomsk was very fruitful, as the Asset is presently going through a phase of rejuvenation. Detailed project planning is more critical in view of harsh climatic conditions and limited logistic support to isolated fields.

Mr. P.K. Rao chairing the meeting at Imperial Energy

Director (Operations) visited Tomsk Regional Home for Children, which is partially supported by Imperial Energy under its CSR activity.  He donated household appliances for the children. This social institution, the only one of its kind in Tomsk region, provides home and care for orphan children up to four years old suffering from organic damage of central neural system. Director (Operations) was greatly impressed by the efforts of the team to create a home away from home for these children.

Distributing toys at the children’s home in Tomsk

On the occasion of 70^th Independence Day, CMD ONGC conferred upon the project ACG, Azerbaijan with a Commendation Certificate for “Runner up Best Performing Asset” of ONGC Videsh for 2015-16. The commendation has been conferred for excellence in performance and significant contribution to overall growth of the Organization.

Team Azerbaijan receives the award from CMD

Mr KB Moon, GM (P) and Dr Ravi Misra DGM (G) received the award on behalf of Mr Balbir Singh Regional President (CIS) and entire BU-CIS team.

ONGC Videsh, on 28th March 2013, acquired 2.7213% participating interest in ACG PSA under which the giant Azeri-Chirag-Deep Water Gunashli oil Field of Azerbaijan are operated and 2.36% PI in BTC Pipeline.

Director (Exploration) Mr Sudhir Sharma with team Azerbaijan ONGC Videsh

ACG Field is the largest oil and gas field complex of Azerbaijan operated by BP and is located in the South Caspian Sea with water depth ranging from 120-180m and about 95 km off the coast of Azerbaijan.

The Citation

In 2015-16 ACG has produced 231mmbbls of oil at an average rate of about 632 Kbopd. During the year ONGC Videsh’s share of production is 6.29mmbbl (0.847MMT) of oil and 0.118bcm of gas.