Staff Reporter
Guwahati: During its current field season programme 2024-25, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has taken up 29 mineral exploration projects in several states in the Northeast, including Assam. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has awarded 35 blocks under different Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) rounds in the Assam Shelf and Assam-Arakan Fold Belt Basin in Northeastern states to enhance oil and natural gas exploration activities.
This was revealed by Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, in the Rajya Sabha while replying to an unstarred question of Rwngwra Narzary.
According to the minister, the Geological Survey of India (GSI), an attached office of the Ministry of Mines, has taken up 29 mineral exploration projects during its current field season programme 2024-25 for various mineral commodities like limestone, graphite, vanadium, coal, rare earth elements & rare metals, phosphorite, bauxite, gold, base metals, etc., in different parts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim, with an aim to augment mineral resources.
Further, to enhance oil and natural gas exploration activities in Northeastern states, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has awarded 35 blocks under different Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) rounds in the Assam Shelf and Assam-Arakan Fold Belt Basin in NE states. A total of 9 wells have been drilled so far during 2024-25.
GSI has taken up 43 critical mineral exploration projects in the Northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura in the field seasons 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25.
Further, 7 critical mineral exploration projects have also been taken up by other agencies in NE states during 2021-22 to 2024-25 through funding by the National Mineral Exploration Trust.
The Union Minister also informed that during the field season 2022-23 to 2024-24, the GSI incurred an expenditure of Rs 212.97 crore for mineral exploration in NE states. Meanwhile, the National Mineral Exploration Trust sanctioned Rs 58.10 crore from 2021-22 to 2024-25 for 17 mineral exploration projects in NE states. Of this amount, payment of Rs 16.24 crore has been made until November 30, 2024.
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