India has confirmed the presence of natural gas in the Andaman basin, marking a milestone in the country’s deepwater exploration ambitions. Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced the discovery on Friday, calling it 'an ocean of energy opportunities.'
The gas was found in the Sri Vijayapuram-2 well, located about 17 km from the Andaman coastline at a water depth of 295 metres and drilled to a target depth of 2,650 metres.
Gas samples show high methane
According to Puri, initial testing between depths of 2,212–2,250 metres established the presence of natural gas with intermittent flaring. Samples transported to Kakinada for analysis showed 87 percent methane content, confirming the quality of hydrocarbons.
“The size of the gas pool and its commercial viability will be verified in the coming months,” Puri noted, but stressed that the discovery validates India’s long-held belief that the Andaman basin is rich in natural gas, in line with discoveries in Myanmar and Indonesia along the same geological belt.
The discovery comes on the back of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of the National Deep Water Exploration Mission, termed 'Samudra Manthan,' during his Independence Day address.
The mission, to be executed in mission mode, aims to expand oil and gas exploration in offshore basins and accelerate India’s push for energy self-reliance.
Puri underlined that the discovery will strengthen India’s ability to partner with global deepwater exploration leaders like Petrobras, BP India, Shell, and ExxonMobil. “This occurrence of natural gas will help us take forward our exploration ambitions and is a significant milestone in our journey through Amrit Kaal,” he said.
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