India has opened nearly one million square kilometres of offshore territory, previously classified as ‘No-Go’ zones, to intensify oil and gas exploration, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
The move, initiated in 2022, is aimed at unlocking significant deepwater and frontier regions, with the Andaman-Nicobar (AN) offshore basin emerging as a key focus area.
Puri noted that since 2015, Exploration and Production (E&P) firms in India have reported 172 hydrocarbon discoveries, of which 62 are in offshore regions.
The AN basin’s strategic geological position at the junction of the Bengal-Arakan sedimentary system, straddling the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates, offers promising stratigraphic traps conducive to hydrocarbon accumulation.
The basin’s proximity to proven petroleum systems in Myanmar and North Sumatra, combined with recent significant gas finds in South Andaman offshore Indonesia, has drawn global exploration interest.
“The geological continuity across the region underlines its immense potential,” Puri stated.
Puri credited the government’s strategic policy shifts for driving the renewed exploration momentum. Enhanced acquisition of seismic data, a revised drilling strategy, and active engagement with international partners have opened up new frontier blocks.
ONGC and Oil India Ltd (OIL) have launched ambitious ultra-deepwater drilling operations in the Andaman basin, targeting depths of up to 5,000 metres for the first time.
A wildcat well, ANDW-7, drilled in the East Andaman Back Arc region, has revealed traces of light crude, condensate, and heavy hydrocarbons such as C-5 neopentane.
“These findings confirm the existence of an active thermogenic petroleum system in the area, comparable to Myanmar and North Sumatra,” the minister said, highlighting it as a landmark in India’s offshore exploration journey.
According to Puri, ONGC has made hydrocarbon discoveries in 20 blocks, with an estimated 75 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent (MMTOE).
Oil India Ltd has recorded seven discoveries in the last four years, with reserves of 9.8 million barrels of oil and over 2,706 billion standard cubic metres of gas.
The minister emphasised that the combination of favourable geology and policy reforms positions India for a major leap in energy self-reliance.
The ongoing ultra-deepwater campaigns are laying the groundwork for commercial-scale production and strengthening India’s offshore energy portfolio.
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