ONGC’s Ashoknagar field in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas has begun commercial crude oil production, marking the development of the first commercial hydrocarbon discovery in the Bengal Basin. The Baigachhi field is located around 48 km from Kolkata, with crude from the project being transported to IndianOil’s Haldia refinery.
As per media reports, West Bengal BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya visited the ONGC oilfield on Sunday and said the start of production could bring investment, employment opportunities and new business activity to the Ashoknagar area. He said he had pursued the project over the past four years by raising the matter in Parliament and following it up with the Petroleum Ministry and ONGC.
Bhattacharya said the project would also contribute to India’s energy security. During his visit, he inspected crude oil extraction at the field and also inaugurated a separator designed to separate gas and water from the extracted crude before it is transported for refining.
Commercial crude production at Baigachhi began on August 28. ONGC dispatched the first consignment from the field to the Haldia refinery the same day. The company is targeting production of around 15,000-20,000 litres of crude per day and plans to drill another four to five wells to increase output.
The latest development well was spudded on May 30 and subsequently established the flow potential of light crude oil. The crude from the new well has an estimated API gravity of around 40-41, comparable with crude produced from Mumbai High.
Years Of Exploration
Oil and gas were first discovered in Ashoknagar in 2018. A test well produced around 375 barrels of oil in 2020, followed by the dispatch of crude to a refinery in December that year. The project subsequently encountered technical issues, the Covid-19 pandemic and land-related hurdles before commercial production resumed in August 2026.
Six wells have so far been drilled in the Ashoknagar field, including four targeting oil and two targeting natural gas. Around Rs 1,000 crore has already been invested in the project, while ONGC continues exploration in other parts of the region.
Bhattacharya said the commencement of production could create employment opportunities for local youth and support economic activity in the district. He also linked the project to efforts to strengthen domestic energy production and reduce dependence on imported hydrocarbons.