Oil India Limited discovered natural gas in the Sri Vijayapuram-3 deepwater exploratory well located in the Andaman Sea [1].
The find marks a significant step in India's effort to reduce reliance on energy imports by tapping into deepwater and ultra-deepwater hydrocarbon potential. This discovery is part of the Samudra Manthan Mission, a strategic initiative to explore the Andaman basin [4].
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the discovery, noting the technical specifications of the operation. The well is located approximately 15 km [1] off the east coast of the Andaman Islands. The operation encountered natural gas at a water depth of about 355 m [4].
To reach the gas deposits, the well was drilled to a depth of over 1,900 m [3]. This project represents a continuing effort to map the energy landscape of the region—a task that involves high-pressure, deep-sea environments.
The Sri Vijayapuram-3 well is not the only success in the area. According to industry data, two of the three exploratory wells in the Andaman basin have shown a presence of hydrocarbons [5].
Oil India continues to operate within the framework of the Samudra Manthan Mission to identify further viable energy sources. The government aims to leverage these offshore finds to strengthen national energy security, and expand the domestic production of natural gas.
“Oil India Limited discovered natural gas in the Sri Vijayapuram-3 deepwater exploratory well.”
The discovery of natural gas in the Andaman Sea suggests that the region possesses a higher-than-expected concentration of hydrocarbons, as evidenced by the success rate of exploratory wells. By successfully drilling in deepwater environments, India is expanding its technical capacity for offshore extraction, which could eventually lower the cost of energy and decrease the country's dependency on foreign liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.
