Published On:February 7 2014
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Jammu-Pak border might have oil & gas, says ONGC.
'If Pakistan can discover lots of oil and gas across the border, why can't India also discover hydrocarbons in areas very close to the borders?' asked an ONGC official
After years of exploration in the Himalayan region, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is yet to find anything in the fragile mountainous regions of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal, despite drilling in several areas.
However, its senior officials say their studies indicate chances of huge oil and gas reserves on the 100-km Bhimbargali-Naushera border belt in Jammu's Poonch and Rajauri districts (confirmed by N K Verma, director, exploration), where oil exploration has become a major challenge for security reasons. It hasn't been able to drill here; Pakistani troops fire regularly on Indian positions.
And, Pakistan has found around 50 oil wells across the border.
BS