It can be mentioned here that that the ONGC had started sinking two experimental wells at Ichapore in 1992. In one of the wells then, at a depth between 4445 meters and 4449 meters a five-meter wide reservoir of oil was discovered. Of course, oil was then available with associated gas and water Workers then separated oil from water with the help of a separator. As per rules, once oil is struck in one well a few more wells are required to be sunk in the adjoining areas and production test undertaken. But instead of sinking more well, the ONGC then discarded the project leaving the well sealed. The rigs on the site were transferred to other areas. On the other hand, although the oil then found was sent to the Indian Oil Corporation refinery for testing its quality , the concerned authorities have preserved the report as a secret.

Unofficial sources however conceded then that the oil discovered at Ichapore was of superior quality as the oil had a small amount of other substances. Despite this, the ONGC authorities had decided then to seal the well. Probably the then Congress government at the Centre secretly discontinued the Ichapore project in West Bengal. The other well in Ichapore too was also sealed then. Besides, the abandonment of the Ichapore project, the ONGC well in Bodra in South 24 Parganas district was also abandoned. The rigs deployed at Ichapore and Bodra were transferred to Assam and Gujarat. The Bodra well was also an oil-bearing one.

The ONGC Workmens’ Association, left parties strongly protested against the arbitrary decision of the ONGC authorities. When the United Front Government assumed office at the Centre, the Workmens’ Association represented to the Union Petroleum Minister, T. R. Baloo West Bengal’s case for resumption of oil exploration in West Bengal .So the resumption of exploration of oil at Ichapore was taken on hand. But in order to keep the earlier well intact, a deviation well at a distance of 50 meters was spaded. About three months ago oil was struck at the new well. At that time too the ONGC authorities for an unknown reason instead of testing the quality of the oil in its own refinery commissioned a foreign company Slam Berger for production testing of the material. But by that time the BJP came to power in Delhi and the usual process of discrimination against West Bengal started.

Undaunted, the ONGC Workmens’ Association demanded that the normal practice of production testing oil found in Ichapore be followed. On Monday, January 18, 1500 litres of oil and large quantity of gas came out of the well. The General Secretary of the Association, Sunit Ghosh, said that if oil is available at the rate of 3,000 litres a day, from a well , commercial exploitation of the well can be undertaken. He felt that if oil and water of the oil is separated by menans of a separator, the flow of oil will be larger. The ONGC is yet to give out its views on the prospect of raising the oil from the new well on a commercial scale.