A technical team of experts has returned to China with petroleum product samples collected during a recent exploration project in the Jaljale area of Bhairavi Rural Municipality-1, Dailekh district. The team concluded its drilling operations and collected samples from a depth of 4,130 meters. The project, which started on April 23, was funded by a Rs 2.5 billion grant from the Chinese government.
According to Prakash Luitel, a geologist at the Department of Mines and Geology, the team gathered samples at two-meter intervals before departing for China.
“The experts drilled down to 4,130 meters and collected samples systematically,” Luitel said. “Following the drilling, casing and cementing work has been completed.”
Out of the 35 Chinese technical team members involved, 15 remain at the site for reservoir work, while the rest have returned to China. Gas storage exploration and processing for extraction are expected to begin after three months.
“In the first phase, Chinese technicians identified potential petroleum sites through an on-site study in Dailekh. Drilling work then commenced, including the construction of a ring house,” Luitel explained. “The next step is analyzing the mine’s economic feasibility, after which production-related work will proceed.”
The Government of Nepal signed an agreement with China on February 28, 2019, to explore petroleum at the Nabhisthan Paduka site in Dailekh. The project, originally scheduled for completion within three years, faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
