In alignment with its mission to be a responsible corporate citizen, ONGC Videsh has offered to sponsor 20 students from South Sudan for the graduate level technical course in Petroleum Engineering in reputed institutes in India. Under this program, the first batch of five students was enrolled in the BSc (Petroleum Operations) course in the University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun for the academic year 2014-15. The next batch of five students has been admitted in B. Tech. (Applied Petroleum Engineering), a four year degree course in the academic year 2015-16. Mr P. K. Rao, Director (Operations), ONGC Videsh presented the students from South Sudan with the Letter of Admission and cheques for the University Fees for the year 2015-16.

Greater Nile Oil Project (GNOP) in Sudan is one of the most successful ventures of ONGC Videsh as of date. With a cumulative production of 27 MMT (ONGC Videsh share), the project has generated wealth of about USD 1693 million as on 31^st March 2015. ONGC Videsh holds acquired 25% Participating Interest (PI) in GNOP on 12^th March 2003 from Talisman of Canada. The asset comprised of Blocks 1, 2 & 4 spread over an area of 49,500 Sq. Km. in Muglad Basin about 740 Km South West of Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan. The asset also included a 1504 Km long, 28 Inch diameter Crude Oil Pipeline System from Heglig Field Base to Port Sudan for transportation of crude oil for export. The other Partners in the joint venture were CNPC of China (40% PI), Petronas of Malaysia (30% PI) and Sudapet of Sudan (5% PI).

ONGC Videsh acquired 24.125% PI in another producing asset of Block 5A on 12^th May 2004. The block is spread over an area of 20,917 Sq. Km. in Muglad Basin.

Post secession of South Sudan in July 2011, the southern contract areas of Blocks 1, 2 & 4 and entire Block 5A came to be situated in South Sudan whereas the northern contract areas with main processing facilities and Sudan Crude Oil Pipeline System came under the territory of Sudan.

The Projects are operated by Joint Operating Companies viz. Blocks 1, 2 & 4 in Sudan by GNPOC whereas Blocks 1, 2 & 4 and Block 5A in South Sudan are operated by GPOC and SPOC respectively.

ONGC Videsh conducts its business as a responsible corporate and believes in holistically addressing all issues related to People, Planet and Profit for a sustainable business and better future for all living beings.

The Company is committed to achieve inclusive growth of the marginalized and deprived sections of the society, particularly those who are directly impacted by the company’s activities. The Company undertakes Community Development/CSR & Sustainability initiatives to develop social wealth for the communities it is engaged with.

Under its CSR Program, ONGC Videsh is pursuing the matter with reputed government institutes for admission of the remaining students from South Sudan in the 2016-17 academic year.

The second batch of 12 executives of ONGC Videsh including Regional Presidents (risk owners, risk cell and core team members) were imparted two days’ Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) training by M/s BSI Group India Pvt. Ltd. on 3-4 November, 2015. With this, 25 executives have undergone this training in 2014-15. Director (Finance) addressed the valedictory session and interacted with the participants. Director (Finance) stressed on the importance of Risk Management for oil and gas sector, where uncertainties like crude oil pricing, geo-political situations, changes in regulations, environmental risk, exploration risk etc. can have a great impact on the company.

 Mr. S.P Garg, Director (Finance) addressing the valedictory session of training

Executives engrossed in the test conducted during training

Further, ONGC Videsh is in the process of mapping project-wise risks alongwith their root causes and mitigating factors. As a part of this exercise, brainstorming session was conducted for MENA (Middle East & North Africa) Business Unit chaired by Director (Operations) on 6^th November, 2015.

 Mr. P.K. Rao, Director (Operations) chairing the brainstorming session of MENA BU

The brain storming session, which focused on mapping the risks of GNPOC Sudan, GPOC & SPOC South Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Syria & Libya projects was participated by 25 executives of the BU & related groups. While addressing the participants, Director (Ops.) stressed that ERM should be integrated with day-to-day working and optimizing operational cost in view of falling crude oil prices. The geo-political situation of MENA projects was also the focus of the deliberations.

A similar exercise for Carabobo Project Venezuela was carried out with expats of Indian companies (ONGC Videsh, Indian Oil & Oil India) at Puerto-La-Cruz Venezuela on 31^st October, 2015 and for Sancristobal project at El-Tigre Venezuela on 1^st November, 2015 by a team led by Head Risk cell.

 Brainstorming session in progress at Venezuela

Reporters from the two most important national and regional media i.e La Republica and El tiempo from Colombia visited India to have a look at ONGC’s production fields/ installations and smart fields during October 2015, to have a first-hand experience of ONGC’s strength and report the same back to the Colombian media.

The media groups were represented by Mr Edmer Tovar Martínez, Editor and Host-El Tiempo and Ms Lilian Mariño Espinosa, Mines and Energy Journalist, La Republica.

D(E) along with project and media team

Mansarovar Energy Colombia Limited (MECL) is a 50:50 Joint Venture between ONGC Amazon Alaknanda Limited established by ONGC Videsh Ltd. from India, and Sinopec International Petroleum E&P Hong Kong Overseas Limited from China. It was incorporated in Bermuda on 2^ndAugust 2006.

It is important for MECL to highlight its operational excellence and expertise in heavy oil business and demonstrate the strength of its shareholders i.e ONGC & SIPC, both technically and financially, for strategic business growth.

At Mumbai High

MECL assets constitute a 100% interest in the light oil Velasquez free mineral property and a 50% interest in the Nare association contract where the Colombian national oil company, Ecopetrol S.A holds the remaining 50%. MECL also owns 100% of the Velasquez-Galan pipeline, which runs 189 km from the Velasquez property to Ecopetrol’s Barrancabermeja refinery.

MECL’s Nare association Contract is expiring on 5th November 2021. Share of Nare Contract field’s in production and remaining reserves of the consortium is around 90% and 80% respectively. Extension of Nare association Contract beyond 2021 is a big challenge and of critical importance to MECL. Efforts are being made to extend the contract beyond 2021.

In their visit from 26th October to 28th October, the media representatives were taken to ONGC Offshore installation in Mumbai High, Onshore installation of Mehsana where heavy crude is produced through in-situ combustion and Institute of Reservoir Studies, Ahmedabad. They were shown ONGC’s expertise and capabilities in producing fields in hostile offshore environment and also producing heavy viscous crude by application of thermal EOR. They were also exhibited ONGC’s effort and achievement in R&D on reservoir studies at IRS, Ahmedabad wherein continuous effort is made to maximize hydrocarbon recovery at minimum cost, provide holistic reservoir description through integration of all data, maximize the value of proven reserves with conventional and improved recovery techniques and enhance the skills and knowledge for better reservoir management.

Welcome at Institute of Reservoir Studies, Ahmedabad

On their final day of visit, media representatives interviewed Mr Sudhir Sharma-Director (Exploration) of ONGC Videsh wherein they showed keen interest about ONGC Videsh strategy in general and specific to Colombia, future investment of ONGC Videsh in Colombia, impact of low oil prices in exploration plans of the company etc.

Director (Exploration) Sudhir Sharma talks to the media

MD’s Message on Hindi Diwas

ONGC Videsh received the ‘Best Miniratna’ award at Dun & Bradstreet PSU Excellence Awards 2015 for its stellar management and leadership. The award was received by MD of ONGC Videsh Mr. N.K. Verma. presence of who’s in the corporate world.

N.K. Verma receiving the award

ONGC Videsh shared the stage with leading corporate houses of India like SAIL, GAIL, PFC, EIL, Hindustan Aeronautics, Container Corporation of India Ltd among many others. There were stringent yardsticks and tough competition in all the sectors as the awards were decided by eminent jurists on various parameters of performance and best practices across the industry.

N.K. Verma with the ‘Best Miniratna’ award

A far-flung location. Punishing weather conditions. Thick snow covers the expansive landscape. Sub-zero temperatures compounded by bitter winds. In this backdrop of harsh environs, a critical campaign took off, a first of its kind in Western Siberia.

The hard-to-recover reserves from tight reservoirs of Snezhnoye field in the Tomsk region of Siberia presented many challenges. Non-availability of experienced contractors did not deter the dedicated team of Imperial Energy. New Technology Induction brought exciting results and two horizontal wells of 1500m horizontal length each drilled in Naunak Formation of Snezhnoye field produced 58,000 m3/d of gas, 2313 bbl/d of liquid and 1037 bopd. The oil production is expected to reach 1200 barrels per day. Well is currently under stabilization. Earlier, single stage fracturing in horizontal wells in these tight formations yielded a maximum of 150 bopd and the rate was declining very fast.

Leading the campaign from the front were NK Verma, MD and PK Rao, Director (Operations), ONGC Videsh who visited the field along with CEO- Imperial Energy, S. Durga Prasad to review the activities. In the very exacting Siberian winter when the field temperature was as low as minus 35 degree Celsius, their presence gave the much needed impetus. Their guidance during the course of planning and execution was of great inspiration to team Imperial.

Review of Imperial Energy & Snezhnoye field visit

Around 80% of the reserves of Imperial Energy are locked up in low permeability tight reservoirs with very low permeability (hard-to-recover) and are difficult to exploit profitably with conventional methods.  After due diligence, Liberty Resources, a Denver, USA based company having wide experience in exploitation of hard-to-recover reserves through multistage fracturing in horizontal wells, was engaged as technology partner.

Imperial Energy is a fully owned subsidiary of ONGC Videsh Ltd., an international arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. Imperial Energy assets are located in Tomsk region, Russia, which is a part of West Siberian petroliferous Basin. The imperial acreages are located around Ob River. A cornerstone for Imperial Energy, this breakthrough will bring much desired turnaround and pave way for future successes.

Hydro-Fracturing Fleet at Well SN#520, Snezhnoye Field