By Kamal Sharma
Dailekh, Mar. 15: After a seismic survey of the petroleum products found in Shreesthan and Nabhisthan of Dailekh, a team of Chinese technicians will visit Nepal on April 1 to explore the possibility of commercial oil extraction.
According to Ganesh Tripathi, geologist at the Department of Geology and Mining, the team of Chinese professionals will arrive in the district to carry out the second phase of petroleum product exploration.
In the first phase, the technical team had conducted exploration works primarily across Dullu Municipality, Bhairabi Rural Municipality, Mahabu Municipality and Narayan Municipality of the district and across some parts of Chamunda Bindrasaini Municipality, Dungeshwor Rural Municipality, Naumule Rural Municipality and Bhagwati Rural Municipality.
The first phase survey had been initiated across 10 seismic lines in the district covering an area of almost 200 kilometres and in the core area underneath the Earth’s crust where petroleum storage is ascertained.
Back in 2016, China entered into a contract with Nepal to cooperate in geological and petroleum survey for identifying spots for drilling works to explore the type and quantity of petroleum reserve in Nepal.
Likewise, in January of 2019, a special project was approved that would allow China to carry out detailed survey of petroleum and gas reserves and mines in two

regions of Nepal. In accordance with the agreement, the DoGM and the Geological Survey Company of the Chinese government started the survey work with a budget allocation of Rs. 2.4 billion at Dailekh.
Both Nepal and China teams jointly formulated an action plan to fulfill the understandings reached in the agreement. The action plan’s first phase comprised of completing the geological and petroleum survey and identifying a drilling site in Dailekh.
The then Industry Minister Matrika Yadav had inaugurated the petroleum exploration at Nabhisthan in Dailekh in October 2019.
Now, to start the second phase, the team of Chinese technicians will be arriving at the site to carry out the main drilling work and consider the possibilities of commercial exploration of the commodities, as per geologist Tripathi.