Essar Oil and Gas Exploration & Production (EOGEPL) is investing $100m in drilling at its Raniganj East coal bed methane block in West Bengal, India. The goal is to increase natural gas production, with plans for pilot projects on horizontal CBM wells to tap into the block’s four trillion cubic feet of resources.

The investment will expand production capacity at Raniganj East, the largest CBM-producing site in India. EOGEPL is also exploring shale gas extraction in the area. CEO Pankaj Kalra highlighted the company’s past investments in developing the block and plans for increased production by 2028.

Efforts align with India’s push for more domestic gas production to reduce imports and support city gas networks. Technical studies suggest favorable conditions for shale gas development. Essar Oil UK, in partnership with Elessent Clean Technologies, is working on an industrial carbon capture facility in Stanlow, UK.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: Essar Oil & Gas to invest $100m in West Bengal’s CBM block