NEW DELHI: India may have made a significant natural gas discovery in the Andaman Sea, as state-run explorer Oil India Ltd (OIL) confirmed the presence of natural gas in the region for the first time.
The gas was found at the Sri Vijayapuram-II well, located 17 km off the east coast of the Andaman Islands, at a water depth of 295 meters and a target depth of 2,650 meters. "An ocean of energy opportunities opens up in the Andaman Sea," said Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on X (formerly Twitter).
Initial tests conducted between 2,212 and 2,250 meters confirmed the presence of natural gas, with intermittent flaring observed. Since June, Puri has expressed optimism that OIL’s Andaman campaign could lead to a discovery on the scale of Guyana's offshore finds. However, the size and commercial viability of the discovery are yet to be determined before it can be officially classified as a full-fledged discovery. Samples sent to Kakinada showed an 87% methane content.
If proven commercially viable, this would mark the fourth major discovery off India's east coast, following similar finds by Reliance, GSPC, and ONGC in the Krishna-Godavari basin.
— Sanjay Dutta
