City-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL) has got the green signal for onshore exploration, development and production of an oil and gas field in Gujarat.

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A committee under the environmental ministry has given the go-ahead to MEIL. At a meeting of the Environmental Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change, MEIL sought clearance to develop the oil and gas block spread in Patan and Mehsana districts of Gujarat. After deliberations, we recommended the project for grant of environmental clearance subject to submission of conservation plan for schedule I species to the chief wildlife warden. We have also recommended specific terms and conditions," the EAC said.

According to the Environmental Impact Assessment report submitted by the MEIL to the Ministry, the investment would involve USD 10 million for three wells. There are no national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, tiger/elephant reserves, and wildlife corridors within 10 km distance from the block area. Narmada Canal and Khari River are passing through the study area and according to MEIL, there is no forest land involved in this activity, it was submitted at the meeting of the EAC.

On completion of the project, necessary measures shall be taken for safe plugging of wells with secured enclosures to restore the drilling site to the original condition, the EAC said as one of the conditions for the environmental clearance. In 2018, MEIL said it had bagged two mega off-shore oil fields in Gujarat and Assam. The Khambel Oil Field is in Khambe Basin located on the west coast of Gujarat and Lakshmi Zen Oil Field is at the North Eastern Arcan Basin in Assam. A senior official of the company then said MEIL would invest about USD 100 million in the fields, to be raised from internal accruals. The company estimated that the Khambel Oil Field would provide life-time production with a production target of 3.70 lakh barrelsof crude oil and 1.3 lakh cubic meters of gas every day from the field.