Natural gas, in commercial volume, is yet to be found at Lalmai-3 exploration well in block-9 despite some encouraging results in the area earlier.

Tullow Oil plc, the Irish operator in the block, said they were yet to confirm presence of commercial quantity of natural gas there due to some technical difficulties in logging programme at the well.

Tullow has faced problems during logging programme at the well due to 'poor hole condition', the company said in an announcement.

"The wireline logs have identified potential gas-bearing sands in a number of zones between 2,200-2,800 metres. However, it has not been possible to complete logging programme due to hole conditions," it added.

Subject to co-venturers' approval, the Irish company will shortly begin testing those potential gas zones including production testing without a rig. Production test results for the well is expected in a month, it said.

The test will allow the rig to be moved to Bangora, the last site in Tullow's three-well exploration programme forthe block.

On February 17, it plugged and abandoned Rasulpur-1 well, the first of the three wells on block 9 planned to be drilled following indication that there is no significant presence of moveable hydrocarbons.

With the latest mixed results, Brian O'Cathain, general manager of Tullow's international operations, said, "While these results are encouraging, due to difficulties encountered during logging programme, we have not yet demonstrated presence of commercial gas at the location."

"It will only be confirmed by a positive result from a planned production test,"he added.