Commercial crude oil extraction in Ashoknagar to start in July
Times of India | 30 June 2026
Kolkata: Ashoknagar in North 24 Parganas is poised to emerge as Bengal’s newest energy hub, with commercial crude oil production expected to begin in July at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) Baigachhi project in Ashoknagar.
The Ashoknagar oilfield is a petroleum and natural gas extraction site located about 48 km from Kolkata. Discovered by ONGC in 2018, it is the first oil and gas-producing field in eastern India. Estimates say the basin contains reserves of over 240 million barrels of oil.
BJP’s Bengal president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya claimed that although the project was launched in 2018, it remained stalled for several years due to delays in obtaining approvals from the state govt. Following the clearance of the necessary permissions, work has accelerated considerably. Bhattacharya expressed confidence that commercial oil production would begin in July.
“If this project succeeds, it will mark the beginning of a new era for Bengal’s industrial growth, employment generation and India’s energy security,” Bhattacharya said.
Sources said if everything proceeds according to schedule, ONGC will start commercial extraction of crude oil by the end of July, while plans are also underway to commercially produce natural gas from the field. “Industry experts believe that once the project is fully operational, Ashoknagar will secure a prominent place not only on Bengal’s industrial map but also in India’s energy sector,” an official said.
ONGC has so far drilled seven wells in the Ashoknagar block. In the first phase, commercial production will begin from one well at the Baigachhi site. Drilling operations are also underway in nearby Bhurkunda and Daulatpur, where future oil production has been planned. Oil reserves have also been identified in Ranaghat. The state-owned energy major has invested nearly Rs 1,000 crore in the project. During trial production in 2020, the company extracted around 375 barrels of crude oil from the Baigachhi well.
“At present, drilling is continuing to a target depth of approximately 2,450 metres using advanced drilling rigs and drill bits. More than 2,006 metres have already been drilled, with progress averaging about 150 metres per day. Once commercial production begins, pump jacks will be installed for continuous extraction, while additional advanced equipment will also be deployed. More than 100 workers are currently engaged at the project site in two shifts,” the official added.