Maharashtra Greenlights ONGC Seismic Survey for Hydrocarbon Hunt

The Maharashtra Forest Department has granted permission to the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) to carry out a 3D seismic survey across 15,212.8 hectares of forest land in the Dhule and Nandurbar districts of northern Maharashtra, for hydrocarbon exploration.

The survey will be conducted by ONGC’s Geophysical Services and Frontier Basins division, based in Dehradun. As part of the operation, 4,754 boreholes—32 per sq. km and each 2.95 inches in diameter—will be drilled to study subsurface geology and identify potential oil and natural gas reserves through seismic wave analysis.

According to an official order issued by Undersecretary Ganesh Jadhao, the legal status of the forest land will remain unchanged. The local Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) is tasked with ensuring that the activity does not impact protected areas, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, nature reserves, or tiger reserves.

Drilling is permitted only in designated zones near existing forest paths, and ONGC must obtain clearance from the local forest officer for using vehicles or tractor-mounted drilling equipment. The agency must ensure no trees are cut during the survey, and all boreholes must be properly filled upon completion. The clearance does not confer any ownership or usage rights over the land to ONGC.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.