GUWAHATI, Nov 19 � Herb Dhaliwal, former Canadian Minister, today met Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in his office chamber and said that his company East-West Petroleum Corporation was keen enough to explore shale oil and shale gas in Assam.
Fifty-nine-year-old Dhaliwal, who was the first Indian-Canadian to become Cabinet Minister in Canada, said that his company wanted to invest in a big way in the exploration of shale oil and shale gas in which Assam had huge potential. This was stated in an official release.
�Assam has huge reserves of shale oil and gas. We have come here to explore and invest. We want to be partners in progress with Government of Assam. We want the support and cooperation of your Government towards this end,� said Dhaliwal.
Dhaliwal pointed out that North America had produced 20 per cent of oil and gas from shale by adopting latest technology. �As Assam possesses huge potential we can rope in new technology to extract oil and gas from shale. This will open up the floodgates of investments and employment avenues in Assam,� he said.
The Canadian politician-turned-business magnate apprised the Chief Minister that he had been in talks with Oil India, ONGC and GAIL to adopt state-of-the-art technology for exploration of oil and gas.
Dhaliwal urged the Chief Minister to take up with the Union Ministry of Petroleum and the Prime Minister to frame a policy for shale oil and shale gas.
