ONGC lost 123,000 barrels per day of oil production after the Mumbai High North process platform was destroyed in a fire on July 27.
"We have already restored 14,000 barrels per day of lost output and the field is currently producing 156,000 barrels per day. We hope to add another 65,000 barrels per day by September 1. Full production of oil and gas is expected by April 2006," the official said.
Gas output from the field, which fell to 6.1 million cubic metres a day from 10.2 million cubic metres, is expected to rise to 8.5 million cubic metres a day by the middle of September.
What really caused the ONGC fire
Full gas production would be restored by year-end. MHN platform was processing 38,000 barrels crude per day when it was gutted in a blaze and the remaining of the now lost output was being processed at a neighbouring platform, NQO.
"We are trying to link up the NQO platform to the trunk pipeline that carries crude to the shores. Once that is done, we will be able to restore 85 per cent of the lost output," the official said.
By September-end, ONGC hopes to reach up to 230,000 barrels per day of oil production from the Mumbai High field. The field was producing about 265,000 barrels per day of oil before the fire.
