Reliance begins tapping methane in MP

Bhopal, Apr 1 (UNI) Tapping of coal-based methane has begun at six experimental wells sunk by Reliance Industries in Sohagpur tahsil of Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district, official sources said today.

Forty such wells have been dug and a total of 1,000 -- depth varying from 500 to 600 ft -- would be sunk under the Rs 3,600-crore project. State Commerce and Industry Minister Babulal Gaur performed a bhoomipujan yesterday.

Commercial production would get underway by 2009, project officials told the Minister. About Rs 7,000 crore worth of allied industry would also come up in the area. After the project is completed, 50 lakh CFT of methane are likely to be produced for 35 years. Water separated during extraction would be used for irrigation. The water being separated now is being let into the Son river.

Reliance Industries Consultant K L N Rao and Project Manager N S Ghai informed Mr Gaur that the gas would not only be supplied to the fertiliser, power generation, sponge iron, steel, ceramic, glass, textile and chemical industry but also to homes in Shahdol, Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, Katni and Umaria districts.

Mr Gaur inaugurated the Australian company Michelle's rig at Sonvarsha village. It can sink 600-ft wells in five days while traditional machines take 25 days.

UNI