A section of the newly commissioned Dergaon-Dimapur gas pipeline, connecting Nagaland to the North East and National Gas Grids.
Dimapur, August 18 (MExN): Nagaland has been connected to the North East Gas Grid (NEGG) and the National Gas Grid with the commissioning of the Dergaon-Dimapur pipeline, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on August 17.
Describing it as a “landmark step” towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making the North East a “growth engine of India,” Puri said the pipeline would strengthen the region's integration into a gas-based economy. “The pipeline will enable utilisation of ~1 lakh SCM/day of ONGC's Jorhat gas, helping reduce gas flaring, substitute equivalent LNG imports and unlock hundreds of crores of value annually,” Puri said in a post on X.
The pipeline will enable gas produced in Assam's Jorhat fields to be transported into Nagaland, creating opportunities for greater utilisation of natural gas across the State, he added.
He said the development would strengthen “energy security” while creating new opportunities for “industry, transport, households and power.”
Puri described the initiative as a move from “local resources to local growth” and said it would advance the Centre's broader objective of achieving “Atmanirbhar Bharat.” The Minister said the connection represented a major step towards an integrated gas network in the region, describing it as “a connected North East” and “a stronger gas economy.” The commissioning also brings the North-East closer to the Centre's “One Nation, One Gas Grid” objective, Puri said.
He said the project would also help reduce dependence on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) by substituting imports with locally available gas from the region.
Meanwhile, in a press release on Tuesday, public sector Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) stated that new connectivity will facilitate utilisation of nearly 1 lakh Standard Cubic Metres (SCM) of gas per day from ONGC’s Jorhat asset.
It also coincided with successful commissioning of gas evacuation facilities at Khoraghat GGS-1 in Golaghat district, Assam, which would enables surplus associated natural gas from the Upper Assam Shelf to be processed and evacuated through the NEGG developed by Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited (IGGL), it said.
ONGC is also developing hook-up facilities at Jantapathar and Kasomarigaon to connect additional producing fields of Jorhat Asset with the NEGG, it added.
As per the Corporation, the projects will augment gas availability, reduce flaring and strengthen the region’s gas-based economy, creating opportunities across households, industry, transport and power while supporting infrastructure development and the North-East’s growth as a key economic engine.
