ONGC clarifies on Cauvery shale gas operation in Tamil Nadu

KARAIKAL: ONGC has denied that it has plans to explore shale oil, shale gas or coal bed methane in the Cauvery basin of Tamil Nadu.

Anti Methane Project Movement activists had accused the public sector undertaking company of planning to extract shale oil, shale gas and coal bed methane from the Cauvery delta region.

ONGC’s Cauvery Asset in Karaikal has clarified that it is neither carrying out any extraction nor has any plan to explore shale oil or shale gas or coal bed methane in the Cauvery basin. It has termed the allegations by activists as ‘misleading’.

The statement from Anti Methane Project Movement came at a time when there were reports of agitations against the movement of ONGC equipment in the Tiruvarur district.ONGC termed the movement of its machinery and personnel necessary for the maintenance and repair of its oil wells.