India’s state-controlled Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has raised concerns over a bill proposed by the government which could see more than two-thirds of its rigs become redundant.
The controversial Merchant Shipping Bill aims to classify mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) including jack-up rigs, as vessels, making them subject to age restrictions, Upstream had reported.
In a letter to Indian Petroleum Secretary Pankaj Jain, ONGC chief executive Arun Kumar Singh said the government should immediately defer a proposal by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) to bring MODUs — including jack-up rigs — under the purview of vessels, which could lead to strict age limits for offshore rigs.
