Urja Bharat announces oil discoveries in Abu Dhabi onshore block

NEW DELHI: Urja Bharat, a joint venture of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Bharat PetroResources — the production arm of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) — has made oil discoveries in an onshore block in Abu Dhabi. Petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the discovery marks a new milestone in India’s quest for energy self-sufficiency.In a statement, IOCL said Urja Bharat Pte Ltd (UBPL) made its first oil discovery at the XN-76 exploration well in early 2024 and now made another while drilling the XN-79 02S exploratory well in the same block. UBPL was awarded the Onshore Block 1 exploration concession in March 2019. The concession spans up to 6,162 square kilometres, granting UBPL 100 per cent concession rights. The partners invested nearly $166 million in the exploration phase, which now was successfully completed.BPCL said the first oil discovery was made in the unconventional Shilaif play at the XN-76 exploratory well. “After successful hydro-fracking operations, the well flowed oil at the surface from the Shilaif formation. The successful testing results established the presence of unconventional oil resources in Onshore Block 1,” BPCL said.It added that a second oil discovery was recorded during testing of the XN-79 02S exploratory well, which flowed crude oil from the Habshan reservoir, marking the first oil find in this reservoir within the concession area. “These new oil discoveries will supplement the efforts of BPRL towards India’s energy security,” BPCL said.