‘Ocean of Energy Opportunities’: Oil India Discovers Natural Gas in Andaman Offshore Block

Noida: Oil India Limited (OIL), a Maharatna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has reported a significant milestone in its ongoing exploration campaign the first confirmed occurrence of natural gas in the Andaman Shallow Offshore Block.

The discovery was made in the company’s second exploratory well, Vijayapuram-2 (Location OAEA), drilled under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) in Block AN-OSHP-2018/1. The announcement was made through an official press release on Friday.

According to OIL, initial production testing of intermittent inflows has yielded gas samples that confirm the presence of natural gas. Further gas isotope studies are currently underway to determine the origin and characteristics of the gas, which may indicate the presence of a hydrocarbon system, including a potential source rock, migration path, or accumulation zone.

“This discovery marks an important step in our offshore exploration efforts,” the company stated. “It is the first reported hydrocarbon occurrence in the ongoing campaign within the Andaman Shallow Offshore Block, and it will significantly inform our future exploration and drilling strategy.”

OIL is also evaluating additional, higher-up prospects within the same well to better understand the scale and potential of the find.

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