RoydadNaft –  Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced that production at the Ashoknagar oil field in West Bengal is expected to commence soon, as both the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and the state government work to finalize the necessary agreements.

Speaking during the Question Hour in Parliament, the minister expressed optimism that lingering issues concerning stamp duty on leases and royalties would be resolved following the recent notification of the Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules, 2025.

Puri noted that oil and gas were discovered at the site in 2018, and ONGC has already invested ₹1,000 crore in the project. He highlighted that the West Bengal government has cleared the path for ONGC to proceed, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announcing at the closing session of the recent Bengal Global Business Summit that the state had leased the required land to the company for a nominal ₹1.