ONGC Achieves Commercial Crude Oil Production at Ashoknagar Field in West Bengal
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has achieved a significant milestone by commencing commercial crude oil production at its Ashoknagar field in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. The first consignment of crude oil was flagged off on August 28, 2026, marking the culmination of years of exploration and efforts to overcome operational and technical challenges.
The crude oil produced from the well is mixed with water and undergoes processing before transportation to the Haldia refinery. Currently, two wells are operational at the Ashoknagar field, producing around 20 cubic meters of crude oil per day.
ONGC plans to expand production by drilling additional wells, aiming to transport approximately 20,000 liters of crude oil to the Haldia refinery daily. The company has found indications of more oil in the Ashoknagar area than initially anticipated, with ONGC Director (Exploration) Om Prakash Sinha stating that the production response has been encouraging and is expected to increase further.
The successful drilling of development well AS-1Z, which established the flow potential of light, high-quality crude oil from the field, represents an important step in translating years of exploration into commercial production. The Ashoknagar oil discovery dates back to 2018, with experimental extraction in 2020 producing around 375 barrels of crude oil.