India's Energy Exploration Initiative Amid West Asia Crisis

The ongoing crisis in West Asia has highlighted India's heavy dependency on energy imports, prompting the government to accelerate domestic exploration efforts. The emphasis will be on gathering seismic data on unexplored deep-water and ultra-deepwater oil and gas blocks.

Samudra Manthan Programme

• This government initiative aims to fund seismic data acquisition.
• The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) will lead the exercise.
• There is a pending decision on whether the government will fully or partially finance this initiative due to its capital-intensive nature.

Objectives of the Initiative

• To prioritize data collection in untapped offshore areas.
• To attract foreign investment in India’s exploration sector by addressing concerns over inadequate data availability.
• To open up nearly 1 million sq km of previously restricted offshore areas for exploration.

Context and Challenges

• India's import dependence remains high, with crude oil at 89% and natural gas at 51% as of FY26.
• Domestic production has been stagnant due to natural declines in oil fields and a lack of new discoveries.

Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP)

• The government launched the eleventh round (OALP-XI), offering 21 exploration blocks across 80,228 sq km.
• The previous round (OALP-X) has offered 25 blocks covering 182,000 sq km, marking India’s largest offshore bid round.

Recent Developments

• An LPG carrier, MT Sarv Shakti, successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz and is expected to arrive in Visakhapatnam, indicating ongoing energy supply routes despite regional tensions.