Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Move on Geleki Oil Field Hand Over is opposed

OUR CORRESPONDENT

SIVASAGAR: Geleki Toilyakhetra Suraksha Vikas Mancha, an umbrella organization of 19 different social and youth organizations, has strongly opposed the ONGC’s stance over the move of the Ministry of Petroleum and Hydrocarbons to hand over the Geleki oil field to Schlumberger Overseas SA for enhancing production from the mature field, terming it as a ploy to privatize the PSU in phases.

The Mancha has been spearheading a movement to stall alleged government plans to privatize ageing oil fields in Assam against the interests of the local communities and the State, a press release stated. The Mancha has been collecting signatures from thousands of people of the district from August 16 against the move and is planning to intensify its movement to put pressure on the Central Government to desist from implementing the contract.

The leaders of the Mancha Purnakanta Borgohain, Kanak Gogoi, Pranjal Borthakur, Pranjal Baruah, Birinchi Borgohain, Prabin Borua and Madan Barua alleged that ONGC Assam Asset’s clarification in a press release that it would continue to own the Geleki oil field while it would be assisted by Schlumberger Overseas SA through a ‘Production Enhancement Contract’ only for improved production was part of a larger conspiracy. It said that ONGC authority did not have a formal meeting with the Mancha prior to giving out the press release and it was very surprising that Geleki, one of the highest yielding oil fields in the country, was now being given to a private company which allegedly did not have a good track record with the Assam Asset itself.

ONGC Assam Asset, in a meeting with several organizations, in the office of the SDO (Civil), Rajiv Thapa on August 21, reiterated that it was committed to the service of the nation and hence would never hand over any property to the private sector. The ONGC authority also clarified that ONGC signed the Summary of Understanding (SoU) with Schlumberger Overseas SA to enhance production, strengthen surface and subsurface activities.