New Delhi, June 5: In what Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri described as another significant milestone in India’s modern-day “Samudra Manthan”, Oil India Limited (OIL) has discovered natural gas in the Andaman Sea, strengthening the country’s quest for energy security and reducing dependence on imported hydrocarbons.
Sharing the development on social media platform X, Puri congratulated Oil India Limited and termed the discovery an “ocean of energy opportunities” emerging from India’s offshore exploration efforts.
The discovery was made at Sri Vijayapuram-3, an exploratory well drilled around 15 kilometres off the east coast of the Andaman Islands at a water depth of 355 metres.
According to the minister, initial production testing carried out at a depth of over 1,900 metres in the Eocene geological formation confirmed the presence of natural gas through continuous flaring.
India’s Modern-Day Samudra Manthan
Drawing parallels with the ancient Indian legend of Samudra Manthan, where the churning of the ocean yielded priceless treasures and ultimately Amrit, the Centre’s deepwater exploration programme is being projected as a strategic effort to unlock India’s hidden energy wealth beneath the seas.
Puri highlighted that the discovery aligns with the ambitious Samudra Manthan Mission (National Deep Water Exploration Mission) announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address in 2025.
Under the mission, India plans to drill a large number of deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploratory wells across offshore basins to fully exploit the nation’s hydrocarbon reserves.
Second Hydrocarbon Discovery in Current Campaign
The minister noted that hydrocarbons have now been reported in two of the three exploratory wells drilled by Oil India Limited in the ongoing Andaman Basin exploration campaign.
The latest discovery is expected to significantly strengthen India’s offshore exploration ambitions and attract greater collaboration with global energy majors and deepwater exploration specialists.
Global Partnerships on the Horizon
Puri said the discovery would help India accelerate exploration efforts in partnership with leading international energy companies and deepwater experts, including Petrobras, TotalEnergies, BP, Shell and ExxonMobil.
Industry experts believe the Andaman Basin could emerge as one of India’s most promising frontier hydrocarbon regions if further exploration confirms commercially viable reserves.
A Step Towards Energy Independence
The Union Minister described the development as a major achievement during India’s Amrit Kaal, emphasizing that domestic discoveries of oil and gas are critical for enhancing long-term energy security and supporting economic growth.
Oil India is currently conducting gas sampling and scientific studies to determine the composition, calorific value and geological origin of the gas before moving to the next phase of evaluation.
With the latest discovery, India’s offshore energy exploration programme has gained fresh momentum, reinforcing New Delhi’s strategy of expanding domestic production while positioning itself as a major energy player in the Indo-Pacific region.
