The petroleum exploration work in Dailekh has reached its final phase. According to the Department of Mines and Geology, as of Saturday, 3,800 meters of drilling work has been completed, with only 200 meters of drilling left. Drilling for petroleum and natural gas exploration began on May 10 in the Jaljale area of Bhairabi Municipality-1 in Dailekh. Geologist Prakash Luintel from the Department of Mines and Geology stated that the drilling work is expected to be completed by mid-January.

"In seven months, 3,800 meters of drilling has been completed," said Luintel. "We aim to complete the drilling and other technical work by mid-January." A Chinese and a Nepali team have been conducting the drilling work in two phases. According to geologist Luintel, the drilling is progressing at a rate of 15 to 20 meters per day. Exploration began in the Panchkoshi area of Dailekh after research indicated the presence of petroleum and natural gas, as well as the existence of a fire that has been burning in the area for years.

A 45-ropani land area has been acquired for drilling in Bhairabi Rural Municipality-1, Jaljale. A team of 80 people, including both Chinese and Nepali workers, is conducting the drilling work. The technical team has been collecting samples from each meter of drilling and sending them for testing to the drilling site, the Department of Mines and Geology, and China. The department expects the final report on the collected samples to be ready within four months.

"Our goal is to drill up to 4,000 meters and collect samples," said Luintel. "It will take about four months to test the collected samples at various locations and prepare the final report on the storage conditions of petroleum products." In February 2019, an agreement was signed with the Chinese government to complete petroleum research in Shirasthan, Nabishthan, and Padukasthan within three years. The exploration is being conducted with a grant of 2.50 billion Nepali rupees from the Chinese government.

The Chinese technical team completed the first phase of seismic survey, geological survey, magnetotellurics survey, and geochemical sampling survey within the scheduled time, and they are also set to complete the drilling work ahead of schedule. The drilling is crucial in determining whether petroleum products exist in this area and, if so, whether extracting them commercially would be feasible. "Earlier, only small-scale drilling was done for geographical surveys, but the report following this final drilling for exploration will reveal the real situation," he said. "If the exploration confirms the presence of oil or gas, it will open the door to production."

According to Nepali technicians, the smell of petroleum products has started to be detected during the recent drilling. "We all suspected that petroleum products existed in Shirathan, Nabhisthan, and Padukastan, and the ongoing research has confirmed that," said the Nepali technicians. "The final report after testing the samples will reveal the quantity and whether it is possible to extract it."