After the turn of British exploration giant Cairn Energy Search (CESL), now the Oil and Natural Gas (ONGC) will start exploration for crude reserves in the economically backward state of Bihar, reports Business Standard.

Bihar is now poised to emerge as one of India's next major destinations for oil and natural gas reserves. The state's energy minister Brijendra Prasad Yadav said ONGC would shortly seek a no-objection-certificate (NOC) for exploration of crude oil reserves in the Purnia basin.

Yadav said there is a huge possibility of the presence of large quantities of petroleum and natural gas reserves in the eastern district of Purnia. Two months back, the Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy was commissioned for the first phase of exploration of a 15,500 sq km area in Bihar`s Ganga basin. Cairn Energy has been granted a seven-year licence for the Purnia basin comprising 13 districts.

The company's proposal, submitted two years back, was delayed due to various technical reasons. It had to be cleared by the ministry of defence, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Atomic Energy Department, said Yadav