ONGC's Sudan Oil field begins production

New Delhi, July 06 (UNI) The Block 5 A oilfield of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC), in Sudan began crude oil production at an output that would touch 50,000 barrels per day by year-end.

ONGC's overseas arm ONGC Videsh (OVL) has 24.15 per cemt stake in the Sudan oil field.

OVL currently has 25 per cent stake in Sudan's Greater Nile Oil Project (Block 1, 2 and 4), which produces 280,000 barrels per day.

Thar Jath field in Block 5A is producing 38,000 barrels per day (bdp). Mala field in the same block would come to production in 2007 with an output of 10,000 bpd, which would rise to 20,000 bpd by 2008, ONGC officials said.

The Thar Jath field is located about 900km south of Khartoum within the Muglad Basin. Crude oil from Thar Jath will be exported from Thar Jath through a 172-km export pipeline, which links the Central Processing Facilities (CPF) to the existing GNOP pump station at Heglig. The first produced oil from Block 5A will reach Port Sudan in August for its first commercial lifting, the official said.

OVL now has five producing overseas assets including the Thar Jath field. The others being GNOP in Sudan, Sakhlain-I in Russia, Syria and Vietnam.

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