ONGC move on Assam Asset hailed

GUWAHATI, Feb 12 – The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) have welcomed the announcement of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGCL) on its Assam Asset.

The ONGCL today said, in the form of news-paper advertisement, ‘it has been decided that there shall be no creation of subsidiary company for ONGC operations in the State of Assam’ by separating Assam Asset from ONGC. It also stated that the ‘ONGC Management continued to commit its total support in terms of resources, including manpower, finance, technical expertise etc’ to the Assam Asset.

The ONGCL, however, said in its advertisement that in a bid to improve productivity in Assam Asset through appropriate changes in the decision making process and a more focused approach with improved profes-sional support to local manage-ment, were under consider-ation. One of the options examin-ed was creating a wholly owned subsidiary of Assam Asset (like ONGC Videsh Limited).

It needs mention here that several organizations of the State have been resorting to agitation protesting the reported move the Union Petroleum Ministry to convert the ONGCL Assam Asset into a subsidiary company. They expressed the apprehension that this would pave the way for privatisation of the potential Assam Asset.

The Sivasagar district unit of the AASU launched a series of agitational programme including a 96-hour ONGC bandh in protest against the reported move. The AASU said in a statement here today that it would continue to keep a strict vigil on the functioning of the ONGCL and demanded that the ONGCL should concentrate more on increasing its Assam Asset production.

It has also postponed its proposed February 16 meeting on the issue, said the students’ body in its statement.

AGP general secretary Sarbananda Sonowal said in a statement here today that his party considers the announcement made by the ONGCL today as a positive development. This announcement has been viewed by the AGP as a step taken in the right direction honouring the sentiment of the people of Assam, Sonowal said.

The AGP recently gheraoed the ONGCL headquarters at Nazira in protest against the reported move. Sonowal said that the agitations launched by the AGP and other organizations like the AASU, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad, All Assam Tai Ahom Students’ Union, CPI, BJP, Telpathar Sangram Samiti, ONGCL Employees’ Union, Small and Heavy Vehicle Owners’ Association, among others, have made the Government of India relent.

Sonowal also thanked the above organizations, State’s intellecturals and media for their bold stand on the issue. He also demanded that the ONGCL should put its best effort to enhance Assam Asset’s crude and natural gas production for overall industrial growth of Assam

Besides, he said, the ONGCL should also taken up public welfare programmes to meet the hopes and aspirations of the people of the State.

ONGC to invest Rs.24.65 bn in Assam

New Delhi, March 5 : State-run major Oil and Natural Gas Corp Thursday said it will invest Rs.24.65 billion (Rs.2,465 crore) for revamping oil fields in Assam.

The board of the upstream major approved the investment for the first phase of renewal of the Lakwa and Lakhmani surface facilities in the northeastern state, a company statement said.

The project will allow the company to continue its operations in the field for another 25 years. Other ONGC assets in Assam will also be revamped in a phased manner.

Besides, the ONGC board also approved $206 million for two different development projects in the western offshore field of Panna and Mukta.

ONGC has set up a joint venture with Reliance Industries Ltd and British Gas India to develop the Panna-Mukta fields.

The board was also notified of five new discoveries, including a significant find in Tripura.

Amguri thermal plant to be functional by ’11

GUWAHATI, Jan 10 Industry and Commerce Minister Pradyut Bardoloi today told the Assembly that the State Government was committed to make the 750-MW Amguri thermal plant functional by 2011. prepare a DPR, agreement would be made with OIL and ONGC for supply of gas.

Citing gas linkage as a constraint, Bardoloi said that the problem should ease with the discovery of a new gas field of OIL near the site and that a gas pricing negotiating committee had been formed for ensuring that the project did not lose its cost-effectiveness following the escalation in the prices of gas.

Earlier, AGP legislator Pradip Hazarika said that the project, conceived under the Assam Accord of 1985, was languishing even after the Centre had cleared the decks due to the apathy of the State Government.

Oil strike hits Assam PSUs

A security guard stands in front of a deserted ONGC unit in Sivasagar on Wednesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Dibrugarh, Jan 8 : Operations in all oilfields across Assam were hit hard today in the wake of the nationwide indefinite strike called by the Oil Sector Officers’ Association (OSOA) to protest against the failure of the government to implement its 11-point charter of demands, including higher salaries.

On the first day, the strike affected maintenance of rigs, exploration and drilling activities.

The strike that began at 6am affected production operations of PSUs like Oil India Ltd (OIL), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC), Gas Authority of India Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd.

The general secretary of the Oil India Executive Employees’ Association — a constituent of the OSOA — Ajoy Borthakur said over phone from OIL’s field headquarters in Duliajan that around 700 officers and executives of the company had gone on strike since this morning.

“We have kept open certain very urgent operations so that gas supply to the power plants does not stop. For this, we have exempted 100 of our members so that the emergency services are not affected,” Borthakur, also the spokesman for the association, said.

The gas-based power projects play a crucial role for power generation during the winter since production from the hydro-based power projects decreases to a considerable extent.

“Our strike is against the government’s wrong policies; we, therefore, do not want the people to suffer. That is why we have decided to ensure uninterrupted supply of gas to the power plants,” Borthakur said.

Administrative work has been affected because of non-availability of officers in the offices at OIL’s field headquarters office in Duliajan.

Officers employed with the Assam Asset of ONGC have also joined the strike.

Nearly 3,500 officers, under the banner of the Association of Scientific and Technical Officers, , Assam Asset of ONGC (Asto), today stayed away from work. This is bound to affect Numaligarh refinery, gas-based power projects and numerous tea gardens in Upper Assam.

Sources said that transportation of crude from the fields was also affected and if the strike continues, the refineries may have to close down.

According to an estimate, Guwahati refinery alone could lose upto about Rs 3 crore a day.