OIL confirms natural gas find in Andaman sea

NEW DELHI : India may have struck a major find in Andaman Sea , with state-run explorer Oil India Ltd definitively establishing presence of natural gas in the basin for the first time

Gas was encountered at the Sri Vijayapuram-II well, drilled 17 km from the Andaman east coast at a water depth of 295 metres and target depth of 2,650 metres. "An ocean of energy opportunities opens up in the Andaman Sea," oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on X.

Initial testing between 2,212 and 2,250 metres confirmed natural gas with intermittent flaring. Since June, Puri has expressed hopes that OIL's Andaman campaign could yield a Guyana-scale discovery. The size and commercial viability of the find are yet to be established before it can be designated a full discovery. Samples shipped to Kakinada showed 87% methane.

If proven commercial, this would be the fourth major east coast discovery after Reliance, GSPC and ONGC strikes in the Krishna-Godavari basin.              - Sanjay Dutta.