Cairn India has signed a contract with Halliburton company to drill 100 wells at the Rajasthan onland block RJ-ON-90/1. The Rs 1,200 crore contract is Halliburton's first drilling contract in India.

Halliburton is expected to commence the drilling in a month or two. Work is likely to be completed over the next 18 months.

Cairn India received approval to drill exploration wells in the Rajasthan block last year. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is Cairn India's 30 per cent joint venture partner in the Rajasthan block. The JV plans to drill 300 wells over the next three years and 1,000 wells in the next five years.

Cairn plans to expand its production from the current level of 2,00,000 barrel a day to 5,00,000 barrel a day in five years. The oil and gas fields in Rajasthan are a key asset to Cairn India. So far, 31 discoveries have been made in the Rajasthan block.