Oil India Ltd discovered natural gas in a shallow offshore block off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in September 2024 [1, 2].
The discovery is part of the Samudra Manthan deep-water exploration mission. This initiative aims to strengthen India's energy security and increase self-reliance by reducing the need for imported fuels [2, 3].
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri said, "We have discovered a massive natural gas reserve in the Andaman basin" [2]. The discovery was confirmed after the second exploratory well reported an occurrence of natural gas [1].
Puri said the gas is composed of 87% methane [2]. He said this specific composition is ideal for the national energy mix [2].
While government officials described the reserve as massive, some reports indicate that a specific public estimate of the reserve size has not been disclosed [1, 2]. The operation remains a key component of the broader strategic effort to identify domestic energy resources in the Andaman basin [2, 3].
“"We have discovered a massive natural gas reserve in the Andaman basin"”
The high methane content of the discovery makes the gas highly efficient for power generation and industrial use. By expanding domestic extraction in the Andaman basin, India seeks to lower its vulnerability to global price volatility and reduce its reliance on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports.
