Hindustan Oil Exploration Company Ltd

Overview

Hindustan Oil Exploration Company Limited (HOEC) is a participant in various oil and gas blocks/ fields which are in the nature of joint operation through Production Sharing Contracts (PSC) entered by the Company with Government of India (GoI) along with other entities. HOEL is one of pioneer private players in the Indian Oil and Gas E&P sector, holding an asset portfolio of 9 Oil & Gas Blocks of Discovered Resources and 1 Exploratory Block in a diverse geographical footprint in 4 out of 7 producing basins in India. The Company at present, is engaged in the exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons crude oil and natural gas in India, both onshore and offshore. Apart from these, the Company provides geological and geophysical services relating to the exploration of oil and natural gas and other oil field services. The company has a 100% subsidiary namely HOEC Bardahl India Ltd which is engaged in marketing of fuel or engine additives. The company has participating interest in seven oil/gas fields in India (in Cambay basin, Cauvery basin and Assam Arakan basin), which are in varying stages of exploration, development and production: AAP-ON-94/1 in Assam; CY-OS/90-1 (PY-3) and PY-1 in Cauvery, and Asjol, CB-OS-1, CB-ON-7 and North Balol in Cambay. Production of crude oil from PY-3 Field located in Cauvery Basin is the principal source of the company's production. Established in September, 1983 under the visionary leadership of Late Shri. H.T. Parekhm, who foresaw the need for private participation in the Indian Oil & Gas sectorM, the Company commenced their operational activities in 1991 with the Government of India announcing the fourth round of exploration bidding for private sector participation. In 1991-92, the company signed a MoU with Petronas Carigali, Malaysia, to conduct joint studies on basins/blocks of mutual interest. In February 1993, the company, along with Albion (India), US, signed a production sharing contract with the Ministry of Petroleum and ONGC, as an operator for a block offshore the coast of Andhra Pradesh with a 35% share in the block. In March 30, 1992, HOEC Bardahl India Ltd became the subsidiary of the company. During the year 1999-2000, they enhanced their presence in the Cambay basin of Gujarat by signing two more exploration blocks. During the year 2000-01, Production Sharing Contracts were signed by the company for three exploration blocks namely CB-ON-2, CB-ON-7 and CY-OSN-97/1(NELP). During the year 2001-02, exploration work was commenced in block CB-ON-7 (Palej) and CB-ON-2 (Tarapur) Block in Gujarat. In February 2003, the Government of Gujarat granted mining lease for Dholasan & Kanawara fields. In April 2004, the company acquired 3D and 2D seismic data in the Cauvery Basin block located offshore East Coast of India. In the year 2005, Burren Shakti Ltd and Burren Energy India Ltd, wholly owned subsidiary of Burren Energy plc, acquired 26% controlling stake in the company from Unocal. Burren Energy plc is a London based exploration and production company, having core producing assets in the Caspian state of Turkmenistan, the Republic of Congo and Egypt. During the year 2006-07, the company executed an agreement with PPN Power Generating Company, an independent power plant in the State of Tamil Nadu operating a 330.5 MW power plant, for the supply of upto 51,000 MMBTU per day of natural gas from the company's PY-1 Cauvery Basin gas field. In February 2008, Burren Energy plc was acquired by ENI UK Holdings plc which is a subsidiary of ENI spa, Italy. In December 2008, the company has been awarded RJ-ONN-2005/1, RJ-ONN-2005/2 under the New Exploration Licensing Policy Round VII (NEPL VII) by the Government of India. During FY 2008-09, Company acquired 3D Seismic Data; it installed and constructed PY-1 Offshore Production Facilities (Platform & Pipeline); installed PY-1 Onshore Facilities and drilling of two Development Wells and establish Phase I plateau production. During the year 2009-10, Company commissioned commercial production of natural gas from PY-1 Field on November 27, 2009. It commissioned drilling of the first appraisal well, Dirok-2 field, in Assam on July 20, 2010. During the year 2012-12, Company drilled multi-lateral well, Surya' in PY-1 Field and thereby, commissioned an independent 3rd Party reserve certification to re-assess the potential of PY-1 Field. The Company implemented various cost optimisation initiatives in PY-1 Field including, de-hiring of chopper services, de-hiring of warehouse and explosive storage yard, undertaking in-house maintenance of critical equipment, tele linking platform to control centre through a low cost yet proven and reliable solution, phasing out expatriates at PY-1 site and improvised rotational work pattern for effective manpower utilization. During the year 2017-18, a development expenditure of Rs 4,811.36 lacs was incurred for the gas development project at Assam, PY-1 drilling campaign and B80 development. An expenditure of Rs 814.72 lacs was incurred to secure the PSC for the adjoining area of Block CB-ON/7 during the year. During the year 2018-19, Company acquired the entire share capital of Geopetrol International Inc. (GPII) and became a wholly owned step-down subsidiary of Company. The Company commissioned Hollong Modular Gas Processing Plant completed 200,000 hours of LTI free operation. It completed two subsea well drilling campaign in Mumbai Offshore in March-April 2020. Post installation of Single Point Mooring (SPM) system and mobilisation of the Floating Storage and Offload (FSO) vessel, the pre-commissioning of the processing facilities at KGB - Offshore Installation such as separators, gas dehydration unit, and compressors etc. was started. Gas produced from well D-2 was processed to meet the specifications and packed into ONGC pipeline from May 31, 2022 onwards. Subsequently, Gas Transportation Agreement (GTA) between ONGC and HOEC was executed on June 03, 2022. Post meeting the gas specification, sales to GSPC has commenced effective from June 04, 2022. During FY 23, the Production Sharing Contracts of both PY-1 and Kharsang has been extended by ten years by Government of India. In both the blocks, they have approved Field Development Plans. The Company has 100% Participating Interest in the offshore PY-1 field in Tamil Nadu. Post the acquisition of Geopetrol International Inc. HOEC Group has 30% Participating Interest both directly and indirectly, in Kharsang, Arunachal Pradesh. The Dirok reservoir Phase -2 got connected to North-East Gas Grid Indradhanush, through which the performance of Dirok reservoir turned excellent in 2023, marking the ability to ramp up gas production as the demand picked up. In 2024, HOEC acquired GeoEnpro Petroleum Limited (Operator of Kharsang Field) through its subsidiary; and further acquired additional 5% equity stake in Kharsang field. Laying of 18'' pipeline in forest segment got completed for connection to Duliajan hub. The Company commenced commercial production from B-80 Offshore field. In FY 2025, HOEC commenced drilling the first development well in North Balol. The Company acquired a 40% interest from Adbhoot Estates Private Limited (AEPL), resulting in the full ownership of Block B-80 in FY 2025. Drilling of Well KSG-71 was completed and hooked up for production at Kharsang in May 2025. Workover operations completed and additional gas reserves added from the previously unexplored Sand-9 in FY25. Laying of 15 kms of pipeline in forest section is completed to connect to Duliajan hub in 2025.