HYDERABAD

Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), which has over 13 decades of extensive experience in coal exploration, is likely to get an opportunity to explore coal-bed methane gas resources available in coal seams.

Senior officials of the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas met the Chairman and Managing Director of SCCL Buddhaprakash Jyoti at Singareni Bhavan here on Friday and suggested the company participate in the exploration auction of three major blocks identified in the Singareni region.

They informed that several blocks were identified across various States in the country for the production of coal-bed methane (CBM), including the Pranahita–Godavari Valley region. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas would shortly conduct an auction to facilitate exploration activities in these blocks.

The officials suggested Singareni to make effective use of this opportunity. They stated that three major blocks were identified across six districts in the Singareni region.

They include — a block covering Mancherial, Peddapalli and Komaram Bheem districts with an estimated resource of 5 billion cubic metres (BCM), a whole block in Bhadradri Kothagudem district with approximately 2 BCM and a combined block covering Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mulugu districts with around 12 BCM.

It was stated that the total estimated availability of methane gas resources in these three blocks is approximately 19 BCM, based on preliminary assessment.

The initiative is being described as an integral step towards achieving self-reliance in the oil and energy sectors as part of the ‘Viksit Bharat–2047’ vision. The Singareni CMD told the delegation that the proposal would examine and take a decision. Additional Director General in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Sachiv Kumar and others were present at the meeting.