The Adani Welspun Exploration Limited (AWEL), has started oil and gas exploration at its Mumbai offshore block — MB-OSN-2005/2— a press release from the company said on Tuesday. AWEL is a joint venture between Adani Enterprises Ltd and Welspun Group.

It said it will begin exploratory drilling in its southern Cambay Basin Onshore Block (CB-ONN-2004/5) by early 2010. Adani had won the Mumbai offshore block under the NELP-VII bid-round of India. The Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for this block was signed on December 22, 2008.

A Schlumberger Group Company, Western Geco, has been awarded the contract for the three dimensional seismic survey of the entire Mumbai block (1191 sq km). It will help in narrowing down the prospects for oil and gas in a given geographical area. The survey is expected to commence by next month.

Besides this, AWEL has a portfolio of eight onshore and offshore blocks, five of which are in India, two in Thailand and one in Egypt. AWEL has majority stake in its Cambay Basin block (90 per cent), Assam block (90 per cent), Mumbai offshore block (100 per cent and Operator) and two Thai blocks (100 per cent and Operator).

It has significant participating interests in a GSPC-led consortium in offshore Block-5 in the Gulf of Suez (Egypt) and in an ONGC-led consortium for two Gulf of Kutch offshore blocks (GK-OSN-2009-1&2). In its on-land Assam block (AA-ONN-2004/4), 2D seismic API has been completed and 3D seismic survey covering the entire block will start soon. Two large onshore blocks in Thailand (L-39/48 and L-22/50) are also being covered by 2D seismic survey.