(a) whether ONGC and Videsh Limited has signed an agreement with Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company to acquire 49 per cent stake in oil and gas exploration in Libya;
(b) if so, the details of the project;
(c) the location of places where exploration would be resumed; and
(d) the name of the other areas in foreign countries where the company has such on-going projects?
Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar)
(a) & (b) : ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) has signed a farm-out agreement with Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company, a subsidiary of National Oil Company of Turkey, on 22.8.2002 for acquisition of 49% participating interest in the onland exploration blocks NC-188 and NC-189 in Libya.
(c) Block NC-188 is located in the Ghadames Basin about 250 Km south of the Capital, Tripoli, whereas block NC-189 is located in the Sirte Basin, about 800 Km southeast of the Capital.
(d) At present OVL has ongoing projects in the offshore of Iran, Western desert of Iraq, offshore of Myanmar, Sakhalin in Russia and offshore of South Louisiana, USA.