NEW DELHI: State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) is trying hard, and succeeding, in lowering its exploration cost write-offs, one of the biggest concerns for all oil firms. The write-off has nearly halved in a year and is expected to shrink further.
Explorers spend millions of dollars gathering seismic data and drilling wells to discover areas that can commercially produce oil and gas. They have to write off expenses when the wells drilled in the process turn out to be dry, or with reserves that can't be exploited commercially.