The river Nile in Sudan is
pronounced as An neel. It sounds similar to Anil. This perhaps is one reason
which brought Anil Bhandari to Sudan on 6th July 2011 as Country
Manager and Executive Director of ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL). OVL is India’s
largest international oil and gas exploration and production company.
Dr.Anil Bhandari’s
contribution in Sudan in these two years has been exemplary. During his
tenure as country manager, the GNPOC operating company accreted highest ever
reserves of 93.33 MMSTB and initiated Improved Oil Recovery and Enhanced Oil
Recovery (IOR/EOR) program in Heglig and Bamboo fields of Sudan. This key
highlight of his achievement involved delicate handling of sensitive situation
in partitioned Sudan regime while preserving the ONGC/OVL interests
intact.
The Corporate Responsibility
Programs in the last 2 years organized by Dr.Bhandari were much appreciated
because it benefited the needy people of Sudan in the peripheries of Khartoum.
Health Clinics are running in its operational areas. Free Diabetic and medical
camps in different hospitals & Medical centers were organized in Khartoum.
These camps provided free consultation, and medicines to thousands of under
privileged patients. In the area of Education 5000 school kits have been distributed to children in different schools in Khartoum State and
West Kordofan. Some schools have been supported with Black Boards and other
teaching aids. Assistance was also provided in form of class room tables-chairs
and civil repairs of school buildings. The
company also supported the
students at Khartoum University –
Faculty of Mathematics, Science with Licenses
for IT
Library, which allows them
to access thousand
of latest IT books. OVL together with Sudan Football Association
has distributed 10,000 footballs to various sports clubs & schools in the
different parts of Sudan State. OVL provided assistance in planting, ploughing,
seeding and technical services for cultivating sorghum food grain in 6,000
acres of land to cover large segment of community in the Unity and Kordofan
states (Debap/ Nama). Over 11,000 poor
family members have benefited in getting
sorghum food grains. OVL along with International Volunteers Women’s
Group (IVWG) together funded and built the Branch No.3 of Al Amal Institution
for Deaf & Dumb in Omdurman and also completed the building of the
classrooms in this school. ONGC also provided the furniture to these class
rooms.
Dr. Anil Bhandari is an eminently proficient geologist. His
core competence spans the entire spectrum of Exploratory and Developmental
aspects of the Indian oil industry. Dr. Bhandari’s scholastic achievements
include a number of well-regarded scientific publications (including books),
invited lectures and plenary and distinct accolades for his geo-scientific
research. His remarkable contributions in the field of Geology brought him
national recognition through coveted National Mineral Award-2002 of the
Government of India, followed by Prof. S.N Bhalla Gold medal in 2009 by the
Paleontological Society of India. Besides contributing to the practical and
theoretical landscape of the oil industry, Dr. Bhandari has been propelling
career and leadership development at various levels of ONGC Ltd. for past
fifteen years.
As ONGC’s team leader, he lead negotiations with South Sudan
Government on Transitional Agreement on ONGC’s operating blocks in Sudan. This
includes his prominent role in African Union Negotiations at Addis Ababa
between Sudan and South Sudan on oil tariff—a topic that has attracted world
attention.
It is time for us to bid him farewell because he has been
promoted as Director- Explorations and will be based at the ONGC headquarters
in New Delhi. His selection came out of 15 prominent contenders for the high
profile post.
In a recent
interview after his selection for the top post, Dr.Bhandari said Oil security
of nation is the main concern to ONGC. OVL has set the target to achieve 20 MMT
of Oil and Oil Equivalent Gas by 2018 and 60 MMT by 2030.To achieve this target
he would focus on balance portfolio by acquiring producing assets and developed
assets in focus areas. About the long term goals, Bhandari said “We are an
E&P company and should focus on exploration assets that can produce in the
next seven or eight years. OVL should buy good conventional exploration assets
at nascent stage without paying too much of a premium to hit OVL’s target to
produce 60m tones of oil equivalent by 2030”
People in
Sudan particularly the Indian community will miss both Dr.Anil Bhandari and his
wife Mrs. Anju Bhandari. Both were very social and Mrs.Anju Bhandari has been
an excellent hostess and organizer of community functions.
We wish that they visit Khartoum in future both for oil
explorations and simply to drink the water of An neel.
