Swarajya | ONGC's 'Sagar Samrat' Set To Add 6,000 Barrels Per Day To India's Crude Oil Production

Jan 30,2023

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri ohas re-dedicated ONGC's iconic drilling rig 'Sagar Samrat' as a Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU), which will  up to 20,000 barrels per day (BPD) of crude oil and is expected to add 6,000 BPD to India’s production.

Commissioned in 1973, Sagar Samrat turned tides of India’s oil fortune by putting it on the global oil map.

In 32 years, Sagar Samrat drilled almost 125 wells and was involved with 14 key offshore oil and gas discoveries in India.

Initially a jack-up drilling rig, Sagar Samrat has now been converted into a Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU).

The British engineering and consulting conglomerate Wood Group’s Mustang unit based in Texas, US carried out the front-end engineering and design for the vessel’s conversion.

MOPU Sagar Samrat commenced production on 23 December 2022 and is currently deployed at Western Offshore (WO)-16 field, located 140-145 kilometres west of Mumbai.

Located adjacent to the ONGC’s existing WO-16 well head platform (WHP) in 76m of water depth, the vessel will be instrumental in producing from marginal fields in WO cluster thereby augmenting production from Western Offshore.

The MOPU is designed to handle 20,000 barrels per day of crude oil and has a maximum export gas capacity of 2.36 million cubic meters per day.

The vessel has been rededicated to the nation as Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU) on 28 January 2023, at a ceremony held on Sagar Samrat.

“Re-coronation of Sagar Samrat is a testament to the courage and willingness to make a difference in the face of uncertainties and the tumultuous forces of nature through re-alignment and innovation,” said the Hardeep Singh Puri.

In a tweet, the minister said, “Sagar Samrat now rules the sea as a Mobile Offshore Production Unit. Joined energy soldiers of ONGC At the re-coronation of a valuable asset. Sagar Samrat Rig built in 1973 was instrumental in 14 key offshore oil & gas discoveries & drilled around 125 wells".

He further stated, “This state-of-the-art facility will handle up to 20,000 BPD of crude oil, with a maximum export gas capacity of 2.36 MCM per day & is expected to add 6000 bbls/day of oil to India’s production in the coming days.”

“A positive step in India’s steady journey towards energy self-sufficiency by 2047, this unit will be able to operate in deep waters, will open up new opportunities to access previously untapped reserves.” he added.