Seismic survey for petroleum exploration under way in Dailekh district

Kathmandu, January 21

The seismic survey to determine the storage capacity of petroleum products has begun in Dailekh.

As per Ganesh Nath Tripathi, exploration officer at the Department of Mines and Geology (DoMG), seismic survey is being carried out after the availability of petroleum products was confirmed in different parts of the district.

A seismic survey is a low impact, non-invasive method of gathering information about the location and characteristics of geological structures beneath the Earth’s surface.

“The survey has begun across 10 seismic lines in the district covering an area of almost 200 kilometres,” informed Tripathi, adding that the survey of one seismic line has been completed so far.

After completion of the seismic survey, the DoMG plans to start survey of the core area underneath the Earth’s crust where petroleum storage is available. As per Tripathi, the department has already completed geological survey, magnetotellurics survey and geochemical survey of petroleum exploration in the region.

Earlier, the government had awarded a Chinese team the contract to carry out exploration of petroleum products in Dailekh and Palpa. The Chinese team, after the initial drilling phase, is preparing to determine the types and amount of petroleum products located in the respective areas and possibilities of commercial exploration of the commodities.

In April, the Chinese team from China Geological Survey had observed and conducted a feasibility study in Surkhet, Dailekh and Palpa districts and also in the Chatara-Barahachhetra areas of Sunsari district.

Paving the way to begin exploration works for petroleum products, the Cabinet in January last year had approved a proposal titled ‘Implementation Agreements of China on Oil and Gas Resources Survey Projects in Nepal’. In March, Nepal and China had inked a pact to start exploration of petroleum prospects in Palpa and Dailekh districts. The Department of Mines and Geology had signed a pact with China Geological Survey for aforementioned purpose.