New Delhi: Director, Exploration, of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) Rajesh Kumar Srivastava has taken over additional charge of the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the energy Maharatna after Dr Alka Mittal superannuated as ONGC CMD on August 31, 2022. Srivastava has been serving as Director, Exploration. since August 2, 2019 and is the senior-most Director on the Board of the energy company.
Srivastava acquired his Master's of Science (Geology) from Lucknow University and Master’s Degree in Engineering Geology from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. He also holds the prestigious Non-Executive Director Diploma from Financial Times, United Kingdom. He joined ONGC as a Geologist in 1984 at Krishna Godavari Basin in Rajahmundry.
With over 38 years of experience in hardcore exploration and production business, Srivastava is an expert in up-stream hydrocarbon exploration from well-site operations, development geology, seismic data interpretation to monitoring and planning of exploration.
After his initial stint as an exploration geologist in Krishna Godavari Basin, he joined ONGC’s Institute of reservoir studies in Ahmedabad; he was considered as one of the best hands in the trade of reservoir modelling for preparation of field development plans, simulation studies for production forecasts and techno-economic evaluation of prospects. He is credited to have introduced art and science of Geo-cellular modeling in ONGC, Neelam offshore field being the first full field fine scale geo-cellular model for dynamic modelling for redevelopment.
During his tenure at Exploration and Development Directorate of ONGC, he was closely associated with the exploration and development activities of Assam and Assam Arakan (A&AA) Basin, Mahanadi Bengal Andaman (MBA) Basin, Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin and Cauvery basin.
He played a key role in the formulation of ‘Hydrocarbon Vision-2030 for North East India’ driven by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He has also evaluated several exploration and development blocks of Egypt and Sudan.
As an acknowledgement for his contributions towards discovery of hydrocarbons in Indian Basins, field development and hydrocarbon exploration, Srivastava was honored with the National Mineral Award in 2009. Srivastava is also the chairman of ONGC TERI Biotech Limited (OTBL) and the president of the Indian Geological Congress (IGL).
