India Expands Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration in the Bay of Bengal and Adjacent Basins

¨   India is expanding offshore oil and gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal and adjoining basins.

¨     The expansion includes new seismic surveys, stratigraphic drilling, and bidding rounds.

¨     The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons is leading a major offshore survey programme covering more than 161,000 line kilometres over nearly two years.

¨  India’s major offshore sedimentary basins include the Bengal Basin, Mahanadi Basin, Krishna-Godavari Basin, Cauvery Basin, Saurashtra Basin, and Andaman Basin.

¨     These basins contain petroleum reserves in both deep-water and shallow-water regions.

¨     Seismic surveys use sound waves to map underground rock layers.

¨     They help identify potential hydrocarbon reserves beneath the seabed.

¨     Stratigraphic drilling is used to collect rock samples and geological data from unexplored regions.

¨     It is conducted before large-scale production drilling begins.

¨     The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons is carrying out one of India’s largest offshore survey programmes in recent years.

¨     The survey covers around 161,000 line kilometres across the Bay of Bengal and nearby offshore regions.

¨    Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Oil India plan to undertake a stratigraphic drilling campaign in early 2026.

¨   The first phase of the drilling campaign includes four deep-sea wells in the Andaman, Mahanadi, Saurashtra, and Bengal sedimentary basins.