Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd

What Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd does

Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd (EOGEPL) is India's leading producer of Coal Bed Methane (CBM), an unconventional hydrocarbon sourced from coal seams. Established under a 1998 Production Sharing Contract with the Government of India, the company operates the Mehsana block in Gujarat (cumulative 130,000+ barrels of oil) and the Raniganj CBM block in West Bengal, where it became the first operator in India to demonstrate CBM commerciality in 2009 and has produced more than 82 BCF of gas. With approximately 65% of India's total CBM output, 450 drilled wells, 236 km of indigenously built infield pipeline and 64 km of customer pipeline, and India's largest single-place CNG compression facility (100,000 SCMD), EOGEPL serves an installed base equivalent to roughly 130,000 vehicles per day. The firm is a privately held investee company of Essar Global Fund Limited, led by CEO Pankaj Kalra, with cumulative investment exceeding Rs 5,500 crores.

EOGEPL's technology stack centers on unconventional hydrocarbon extraction, including enhanced Coal Bed Methane (eCBM) microbial methods, hydro-frac, radial drilling, drone-based field surveys, and well-working automation. Beyond core CBM, the Raniganj block hosts thick organic shales with an estimated ~8 TCF of shale gas resources in place, representing an emerging product line on top of ~4 TCF of CBM in place. The firm plans to triple FY25 capex to Rs 1,500 crore, commit up to Rs 3,000 crore to Raniganj expansion, and drill 200 incremental horizontal and deviated wells over the next 18-24 months, with a stated objective of supplying ~5% of India's total gas production by 2030.

EOGEPL operates a B2B enterprise sales model anchored on long-term firm contracts and pipeline integration. A firm offtake agreement with AAA+ rated GAIL (India) Ltd — integrated with the Urja Ganga Pipeline — underwrites gas evacuation, with additional supply to IOCL, Adani, Hindustan Petroleum, and Bengal Gas for industrial fuel, CNG distribution, and (potentially) fertilizer feedstock applications across eastern India. Pricing is contract-based and not publicly disclosed, and revenue figures are not reported; the business model is a recurring, volume-driven commodity supplier with concentrated enterprise counterparties.

Name

Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd

Legal name

Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd

Website

https://eogepl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd is India's largest Coal Bed Methane producer (~65% share), extracting unconventional gas from the Raniganj and Mehsana blocks and supplying B2B industrial customers via pipeline and its single-largest CNG facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Unconventional Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production

NAICS

Natural Gas Extraction (21113), Crude Petroleum Extraction (21112)

SIC

Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas (1311), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533)

akta.pro primary industry

Coalbed Methane (CBM) / Coal Seam Gas (CSG) (EUAAAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coalbed Methane & Coal Mine Methane (Degasification, Capture) (IMAKAIAL), Coalbed Methane (CBM) Gathering Systems (TLAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Coal bed methane production
• Unconventional hydrocarbon extraction
• Natural gas supply
• Shale gas exploration
• CNG distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Corporate Headquarters

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. CBM Gas Sales: Sale of Coal Bed Methane gas to industrial customers through firm contracts with GAIL and direct supply to CNG facilities. Gas is sold to multiple customers including GAIL, IOCL, Adani, Bengal Gas, and others via pipeline infrastructure integrated with Urja Ganga Pipeline.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd (EOGEPL) produces Coal Bed Methane (CBM) and conventional crude oil from operated blocks in India, with the Raniganj block in West Bengal being India's highest producing CBM field (over 82 BCF produced to date) and the Mehsana block in Gujarat producing conventional oil. The company sells CBM gas through firm contracts with GAIL (India) Ltd and direct CNG supply to industrial customers, city gas distribution companies, and refiners across eastern India.

Product overview

Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd operates a portfolio of unconventional hydrocarbon assets centered on Coal Bed Methane (CBM) production. The company's core offerings include the Raniganj CBM Block (India's highest producing CBM field), the Mehsana Block (conventional oil with CBM R&D wells), and emerging Shale Gas Exploration capabilities. Supporting operations include a CNG Distribution Facility (India's largest single-place CNG facility with 100,000 SCMD capacity) and Pipeline Infrastructure (236 km infield + 64 km customer pipelines). The company produces ~65% of India's total CBM output and has ~4 TCF CBM and ~8 TCF shale resources in place.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Gas Unconventional natural gas extracted from coal seams using eCBM technology including microbial methods, hydro-frac, and radial drilling. Supplied to industrial customers, GAIL, IOCL, Adani, HP, and Bengal Gas via pipeline infrastructure.
• Conventional Crude Oil (Mehsana Block) Conventional crude oil produced from the Mehsana block in Gujarat under a Production Sharing Contract signed with the Government of India in 1998. The block also hosts R&D CBM wells first drilled in 1992.
• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) CNG supplied from the largest single-place CNG facility in India (100,000 SCMD capacity) to city gas distribution networks and industrial consumers, displacing diesel and reducing carbon footprint.
• Shale Gas Exploration Emerging shale gas resource from organic shales underlying the coal reservoir in the Raniganj block, with initial studies indicating ~8 TCF of shale resources in place.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produces ~65% of India's total CBM production
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GAIL (India) LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirm contract with AAA+ rated Indian maharatna company GAIL (India) Ltd for gas supply. Partnership ensures seamless integration with Urja Ganga Pipeline and eliminates any evacuation risk. CNG is supplied to GAIL for distribution to Ranchi, Rourkela, and other locations through the pipeline network.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC): India's largest state-owned upstream oil and gas company with significant CBM operations in Jharkhand, West Bengal, and other basins. Competes with EOGEPL in unconventional gas and was involved in early CBM resource studies at Raniganj.
• Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL): India's largest refiner and a customer of EOGEPL for gas supply. Operates a large CGD network and gas businesses, partially competing for downstream CBM/CNG demand.
• Oil India Limited: Major Indian upstream state-owned company with growing CBM portfolio and conventional E&P operations. Competes with EOGEPL in domestic gas production and supply to industrial customers.
• Reliance Industries: India's largest private-sector energy company with upstream E&P and dominant CBM acreage (Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh). Overlaps with EOGEPL in CBM production and Indian gas market dynamics.
• GAIL (India) Limited: India's largest state-owned natural gas company and the largest offtake partner / customer of EOGEPL. Comparable as a major player in the Indian gas value chain (midstream, transmission, CGD, petrochemicals) and critical to EOGEPL's distribution.

Others

• Bharat Petroleum Corporation: Indian state-owned oil and gas major with CGD operations and gas sourcing needs. Relevant as a downstream CBM/CNG customer and a peer across India's gas value chain.
• Coal India Limited: World's largest coal producer with significant CBM resource potential in its lease areas. Adjacent peer as the source rock of coal bed methane; strategic interest in coal mine methane extraction that overlaps with EOGEPL's operating philosophy.

Emerging players

• Adani Total Gas: Major Indian CGD company and a downstream gas customer receiving supply through GAIL infrastructure. Comparable in serving CNG and industrial demand that EOGEPL ultimately feeds.

Regional players

• Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC): Gujarat state-owned E&P company with CBM blocks in the Cambay basin. Comparable to EOGEPL in operating CBM assets in western India and targeting similar industrial/CNG off-takers.

Direct peers

• Great Eastern Energy Corporation: India's other listed pure-play CBM producer operating in the Raniganj region. Directly competes with EOGEPL in coal bed methane exploration, production, and gas sales to industrial and CGD customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Essar_EOGEPL
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Essar
• Facebookfacebook.com/EssarEOGEPL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/essar-oil-and-gas-exploration-and-production-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/essarofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd