Oil India Strikes Natural Gas in Andaman Offshore Block

New Delhi (IANS): State-owned Maharatna company Oil India Limited announced a fresh natural gas discovery in its third exploratory well in the Andaman shallow offshore block on Friday, securing another breakthrough for hydrocarbon presence in the region.

The company drilled the Vijayapuram-3 (Loc. OAEB) well under the Offshore Andaman Block AN-OSHP-2018/1 as part of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP). The well sits roughly 15 kilometers off the east coast of the Andaman Islands at a water depth of 355 meters.

Engineers drilled to a depth of over 1,900 meters into the Eocene formation to make the discovery.

In a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges, the company stated that initial production testing confirmed the presence of natural gas, yielding continuous flaring immediately after perforation. The well also showed immediate pressure build-up before producing gas.

“Oil India Limited is pleased to announce the presence of natural gas in its 3rd exploratory well Vijayapuram-3 (Loc. OAEB), drilled 15 km oƯ the east coast of the Andaman Islands at a water depth of 355 meters in the OƯshore Andaman Block AN-OSHP-2018/1 under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP),” the company noted in its filing.

Oil India teams are currently conducting gas sampling to assess the composition and calorific value of the gas, alongside isotope studies to trace the origin of the hydrocarbons.

The breakthrough marks the second confirmed hydrocarbon discovery in the Andaman offshore block. Oil India previously struck gas in its second exploratory well, Vijayapuram-2 (Loc. OAEA), in September 2025. Two of the three exploratory wells drilled in the block so far have now yielded hydrocarbons.

The company hailed the latest find as a “leading indicator” of a viable source, migration pathway, and accumulation of hydrocarbons in the area, which will help refine its future exploration strategy.