Russia’s oil giant Gazprom to send technical team to explore Mannar basin

One of the world’s leading oil companies, Russia’s oil giant Gazprom will send a a group of technical specialists to Sri Lanka to explore gas drilling in the off the northwest coast of the country, government media reported.

Gazprom has expressed its intention to join the gas drilling in the Mannar Basin earlier this year. The company held discussions with the Sri Lankan government in August on sending a technical team to the country.

Petroleum Industries Ministry Susil Premajayantha said that a group of technical specialists will reach Sri Lanka shortly for further activities.

Minister who participated at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow last week had bilateral discussions with the Gazprom Company representatives.

Gazprom has also agreed to offer scholarships to Sri Lankan students who have passed the G.C.E Advanced Level and join Sri Lankan graduates in oil drilling activities and support Sri Lanka’s Tourism Industry to achieve their targets.

Cairn Lanka, the wholly owned subsidiary of Cairn India, which began oil drilling operations in the Mannar basin in August, after having found gas deposits in its first well CLPL-Dorado-91H/1z, has started on a second well in the block.

Mannar basin has eight oil and gas exploration blocks and two of them have been granted to China and India. Gazprom and Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, PetroVietnam have expressed interest in oil exploration in the Mannar Basin.