Khaidem oil exploration venture dismissed

Northeast News Agency
Imphal, May 25: A public consultation on ‘Oil Exploration in Manipur’ here on Wednesday dismissed the major plan to allow oil drilling venture in Khaidem of Imphal West.
Many social activists spoke on the potential impact of the oil exploration process being taken up in the village during the programme organised by various social organisations at NupiLan Complex.
The organisations are saying no oil exploration in Manipur should be carried out in the area without seeking prior consent of the people, fearing its impact.
They strongly dismissed the plan, saying details on Environment Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment should be provided to the people first before the exploration work takes place.
Oil India Limited under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has awarded the contract to a private company Asian Oil Fields for the oil exploration venture at Khaidem.
The seismic survey currently being carried out by the company at the village for the exploration is technically a preliminary stage, and that the actual oil drilling work is not likely to be carried out without conformity with the international rules and regulations, according to an expert.
 “The drilling work will not come next in line because exploration is a long process,” Chanam KB, an expert in oilfield told Northeast News Agency on Wednesday.
He said the distressing emotion aroused by the ‘potential impact’ on the people due to the exploration work does not seem to have happened that way.
“If the international norms are complied, the much-talked bad effect on the people and the surroundings of the oil exploration area does not seem to be causing,” Chanam, a former Operation Manager of French company Schlumberger, observed.
He said oil hydrocarbon exploration has been carrying out for a considerable long time throughout the world and that the chance of impact will be reduced to the smallest degree if all guidelines and terms and conditions are followed by the company in the venture.