DAILEKH: Workers involved in exploration of petroleum products in Bhairavi Rural Municipality of Dailekh district have so far drilled 218 meters deep in search of fossil fuel in Bhirkhet area.

The drilling will be carried out up to 4,500 metres, Prakash Luintel, Information Officer of the Petroleum Exploration Project under the Department of Mines and Geology told the state-owned RSS.    

Scores of workers and engineers are involved in the drilling works. They are working in shifts and round the clock with the objective of completing the drilling within the next four months.    

The Government of Nepal has started exploration of petroleum products with the grant assistance of Rs 2.50 billion as per an agreement signed with the Chinese government six years ago.

The government has acquired 45 ropanis of land (one ropani is equivalent to 5476 sq. ft.) at Bhirkhet of Bhairabhi rural municipality-1 for the final survey and the land owners have already been provided with compensation. Twenty seven families received the compensation for the acquired land at the rate of Rs 175,000 per ropani. This survey is said to be significant in determining the volume of raw petroleum products and gas available in the area.

The drilling is expected to determine the quantity of petroleum products and gas storage. It will also determine the next course of action, Project Chief Dinesh Kumar Napit had told RSS in an earlier interview in April.