However, if the importers of LNG were interested, they could tie up with the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) for marketing the gas. Further, the proposal to put in place a "suitable regulatory framework" for the natural gas/LNG sector in the Country was currently being examined by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr. Mohan said. Regarding projects for tapping methane from the lignite bed at Mannargudi, the Centre has initiated action through the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) to collect methane- related date from there. The job has been entrusted to the Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL), a GOI agency, to drill a new well at a favourable geological location in Mannargudi area. The ONGC was also continuing its exploration in the Cauvery Basin and in Ramanathapuram area. As a result of the exploration, ONGC has been able to establish "production of oil @ 0.375 million tonnes per year and gas production @ 0.4 million cubic metres per day as on 1.1.2000", he said, quoting Ministerial figures. While the Chennai-Tiruchi-Madurai petro-product pipeline at a cost of Rs.538.70 crores was scheduled to be completed by 31 July 2001, Mr. Mohan said the feasibility of implementing the project was being re-examined in view of the new upcoming Cuddalore Refinery. The product availability from Cuddalore Refinery would also be required to be taken into account. In July 2009, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India gave licence to Great Eastern Energy Corporation Limited to explore and extract coalbed methane for 667 square kilometers in the Mannarkudi block of Thiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu. Subsequently, the state government under Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Signed MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) the firm towards research about the presence of methane particles on sighting industrial development in the locality. However on exploration, the company found the presence of methane particles and the company has a plan to drill 50 core production wells of 150-450 metre deep in the ground. In September 2012, the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests (UMOEF) issued environmental clearance to the project. The farmers and environmentalists staged public protests against the permission for extraction. The state government under Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam suspended the project in 2013. On 10 November 2016, the Union Minister of state for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, said that the project has been withdrawn. In 2009, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) dug a well