Oil India Limited (OIL) will be working with the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies (CESHS) to carry out research studies on the abundant deep and shallow oil wells in the Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India to evaluate the region’s geothermal resource potential. Additionally, OIL and the CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) will conduct an MT survey at potential geothermal sites in Arunachal Pradesh and will help in mobilizing a rig for drilling operations.

These plans were decided during a meeting held in Hyderabad by the policy think tank NITI Aayog that aims to establish a “Consortium of Geothermal Energy” to develop 10 MW of geothermal energy in India by 2030. Ministry of Earth Sciences union secretary Dr M Ravichandran chaired the session.

Tana Tage, Director of CESHS, presented the progress of the working being done in characterizing the geothermal resource in Arunachal. A field study recently done by the CESHS with the Norwegian Geological Institute and Iceland-based Geotropy identified more than 100 hot spring sites in the region. He also added the geochemical tests has been done at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and are being cross-verified at the Central University of Punjab in Bathinda, with results considered promising so far.

During the meeting, Dr Ravichandran emphasized the importance of creating a resource potential map for geothermal energy in India to enhance survey activities and facilitate the development of a pilot project to showcase the benefits and feasibility of geothermal in the country.

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Energy Centre Director General Ravi also shared some insight into the experience in Puga Valley in Ladakh, where work is still ongoing for the drilling of a geothermal well.