Ballia, March 27 -- A significant crude oil reserve has been discovered in Ballia on land owned by the family of renowned freedom fighter Chittu Pandey. The find comes after a three-month survey in the Ganga basin, which confirmed the presence of oil reserves at a depth of 3,000 metres.
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has leased six-and-a-half acres from Pandey's family for three years, paying '10 Lakh annually. ONGC officials confirmed that drilling must reach 3,001 metres to access the reserves. The excavation process, which requires 25,000 litres of water daily, is progressing rapidly and is expected to be completed by the end of April.If the exploration is successful, ONGC plans to drill additional wells at other identified ...