http://www.petrowatch.com/Latest headlines from Petrowatchen-usCopyright 2010, Petrowatch Information (India) Pvt. Ltd.Petrowatch Back-Issues1/28/2010www.vlead.comhttp://www.petrowatch.com/images/label.gifhttp://www.petrowatch.com/Latest headlines from Petrowatch30250http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8820&w=1&rss=pwFormer wrestler and current Samajwadi Party strongman Mulayam Singh Yadav (left) is taking a very personal interest in the selection of a new director general at the DGH.Ministry, Politics & People1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8821&w=1&rss=pwFor over a month rumours have been circulating that special (oil) secretary S. Sundareshan would take over from outgoing oil secretary RS Pandey on January 31.Ministry, Politics & People1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8822&w=1&rss=pwAhmedabad-based Deep Industries might be forced to take legal action against the Indian government if its bids for seven CBM-IV blocks are rejected by the oil ministry.Ministry, Politics & People1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8823&w=1&rss=pwConfusion reigns following a 41-page ruling from the Delhi High Court last week that the Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board has no power to issue licenses for city gas networks! Ministry, Politics & People1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8824&w=1&rss=pwState-owned Delhi-based gas retailer Indraprastha Gas is in high spirits after the Delhi High Court upheld its challenge to the Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board.Ministry, Politics & People1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8825&w=1&rss=pwDespite fierce resistance from operator British Gas, the government of India’s audit watchdog the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) began a detailed audit of the Panna, Mukta and Tapti oil and gasfield accounts on (Thursday) January 28.Ministry, Politics & People1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8826&w=1&rss=pwGAIL has set up a high-powered committee to tackle angry Gujarat farmers amid fears it might need police protection to begin laying the second gas transmission pipeline from Dahej to Vijaipur (DVPL-2).Ministry, Politics & People1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8827&w=1&rss=pwMost companies use Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques when their assets are in decline – but not Cairn India! Exploration & Production1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8828&w=1&rss=pwReliance is believed to have hired 2D seismic vessel Osprey Explorer from Seabird Exploration to carry out a 2800-lkm survey on India’s east coast.Exploration & Production1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8829&w=1&rss=pwSingapore-based Swiber Offshore has emerged lowest bidder in two key ONGC tenders for production platforms in the western offshore. Exploration & Production1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8830&w=1&rss=pwNot often do you hear of an Indian company with acreage covering 30% of the landmass in a foreign land!Exploration & Production1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8831&w=1&rss=pwReliance is shrugging off media hype about a recent gas discovery at NELP-V Krishna Godavari deepwater block KG-DWN-2003/1, also known as D3.Exploration & Production1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8832&w=1&rss=pwCairn India is gearing up to begin a long-awaited three well exploration campaign at KG onshore block KG-ONN-2003/1 – located near several small ONGC fields in the Rajahmundry area of Andhra Pradesh.Exploration & Production1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8833&w=1&rss=pwAhmedabad-based Adani Welspun (90%) and Ukraine-based Naftogaz (10%) hope to begin exploratory drilling at their Gujarat onshore block CB-ONN-2004/5 by March.Exploration & Production1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8834&w=1&rss=pwTripura in India’s volatile northeast used to be a region where you could sell gas only at the government subsidised ‘northeastern’ price of around $2/mmbtu, or Rs1920 per 1000 cubic metres.Midstream, Downstream & Power1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8835&w=1&rss=pwGAIL is facing a similar threat elsewhere, this time in Jharkand, where ONGC is planning direct CBM sales to industrial customers from its 85-sq km Jharia field.Midstream, Downstream & Power1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8836&w=1&rss=pwGAIL gas customers in Gujarat are rapidly defecting to ONGC. Fed up with waiting, PETROWATCH learns that last month (December) three small GAIL customers decided to receive supplies directly from ONGC!Midstream, Downstream & Power1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8837&w=1&rss=pwAccusations are flying thick and fast following a damaging leak that delayed work by eight days on the GAIL-promoted gas transmission pipeline from Vijaipur in Madhya Pradesh to Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.Midstream, Downstream & Power1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8838&w=1&rss=pwJapanese giant Mitsui is the latest to show interest in the proposed LNG terminal at Mundra. Midstream, Downstream & Power1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8839&w=1&rss=pwGAIL is angry at the oil ministry for meddling in its commercial arrangements with Reliance for evacuation of D6 gas.Midstream, Downstream & Power1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8840&w=1&rss=pwDredging of the Dabhol shipping channel has at last begun - bringing the much-delayed Ratnagiri Gas and Power LNG terminal one step closer to commissioning! Midstream, Downstream & Power1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8810&w=1&rss=pwBPCL chairman Ashok Sinha is in Delhi more often than strictly necessary these days, according to sources.News In Brief1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8811&w=1&rss=pwAfter more than three weeks on the high seas, Fred Olsen owned deepwater rig Blackford Dolphin will sail into Kakinada on the Andhra Pradesh coast from Oman sometime this weekend.News In Brief1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8812&w=1&rss=pwMost big Indian oilfields are in an “alarming” state of decline and ONGC chairman RS Sharma wants service contractors to help reverse the trend.News In Brief1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8813&w=1&rss=pwEssar is trying to convince GSPC to retain Essar Wildcat, despite suggestions the rig is no longer required.News In Brief1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8814&w=1&rss=pwAnupam Mathur is the new executive director at Mumbai-based Tata Petrodyne, a tiny oil and gas company run by India’s Tata group which has total annual revenues of over $62bn.News In Brief1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8815&w=1&rss=pwGSPC’s gas retail arm GSPC Gas is steadily gaining ground in Gujarat’s hinterland.News In Brief1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8816&w=1&rss=pwSeismic contractors are cynical about a Reliance tender this month for boats to shoot 9600-sq km 3D across NELP acreage over two years.News In Brief1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8817&w=1&rss=pwDeepwater drillship Discoverer 534 has ‘spud’ a third appraisal well for Reliance at Mahanadi basin NELP-I gas discovery block NEC-OSN-97/2, also known as NEC-25.News In Brief1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8818&w=1&rss=pwHopes are high that BG-owned Gujarat Gas, GSPC Gas and Adani Energy will benefit most when the government allocates an additional 2m cm/d of D6 gas from Reliance to small factories consuming less than 50,000 cm/d.News In Brief1/28/2010http://www.petrowatch.com/synopsis.aspx?i=8819&w=1&rss=pwOperator Hardy Oil and Gas (18%) is putting the finishing touches to a new development plan that will see further ‘in fill’ drilling at PY-3.News In Brief1/28/2010