The Punjab hydrocarbon survey, which was set to be completed months ago, has been delayed by more than 20 months amid constant opposition from farming organisations. The survey, being conducted on behalf of Oil India Limited (OIL) in Muktsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Moga, Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts, officially commenced in October 2024.
However, back-to-back attempts to begin the survey in October 2024, May 2025, and January 2026 failed due to continuous deadlock imposed by farming bodies.
A contract for the project was awarded to the Mumbai-based Asian Energy Services Ltd in September 2024, which then engaged Haryana-based DS Geo Services Pvt Ltd for field operations, including manpower deployment and liaison work.
As per the terms of the contract, the survey was to be completed within 18 months.
However, company officials said that only three drill shot holes have been created so far and even those were allegedly filled up by farmers.
According to company officials, approximately 168 km of stretch in Punjab with 25 shot holes per km was supposed to be drilled for data collection.
"The company has missed several deadlines due to protests by farmers. The deadline has been extended multiple times and the latest deadline is nearing its end now," a senior official told reporters on Tuesday.
The field teams have also been subjected to abuse and equipment vandalisation, besides several shot holes being damaged by protesters, he said.
Farmers’ concerns stem from the fear that if hydrocarbons are detected in the state, this will lead to land acquisition.
They also fear adverse impacts on groundwater levels, possible contamination of water resources, reduced agricultural productivity and damage to tube wells.
The survey is proposed to cover around 57.36 km in Muktsar, 1.6 km in Bathinda, 34.88 km in Faridkot, 48.36 km in Moga, 14.12 km in Jalandhar and 12.4 km in Kapurthala.
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