Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Samudra Manthan: India's Offshore Oil Push Targets Energy Security
India wants to find more oil and gas under the sea so it doesn't have to buy so much from other countries.
Right now, India buys almost 9 out of every 10 barrels of the oil it needs from other countries.
The government has started a big project called Samudra Manthan, which means "churning of the ocean."
The project will spend about Rs 84,084 crore to explore for oil and gas deep under the sea.
It will give companies better maps of the sea floor and help pay for the expensive drilling.
One deepwater well can cost up to $150 million, so the government will share some of that cost.
The plan focuses on areas like the Krishna-Godavari and Andaman regions in India's ocean waters.
If the project works, India could make more oil and gas at home and need to buy less from abroad.
But there are risks: a well might come up dry, and it takes many years before oil can actually be pumped.
Still, the government hopes the project will make India's energy supply safer and less expensive.
Samudra Manthan, India's National Offshore Exploration Scheme, carries a total outlay of Rs 84,084 crore and runs through FY 2030-31.
The scheme allocates Rs 43,200 crore to drill 60 deepwater exploration wells, with government support of up to 50% of eligible cost capped at Rs 675 crore per well.
India imports close to nine-tenths of its crude oil requirement and about half of its natural gas, with an annual crude import bill of nearly $144 billion.
The government aims to raise annual domestic oil and gas production from about 62 MMTOE to 80 MMTOE and expand the hydrocarbon resource base from 1.6 billion TOE to 2.2 billion TOE.
Deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploration will target the Krishna-Godavari, Cauvery, Mahanadi and Andaman regions of India's Exclusive Economic Zone.
- Who
- The Government of India, through the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which approved Samudra Manthan, the National Offshore Exploration Scheme.
- What
- A Rs 84,084 crore offshore oil and gas exploration programme to map, drill and unlock deepwater hydrocarbon reserves in India's Exclusive Economic Zone.
- When
- The scheme runs through FY 2030-31; the article cites FY 2025-26 crude production of 28.71 million tonne, which fell 2.8% during the year.
- Where
- Deepwater and ultra-deepwater areas of India's Exclusive Economic Zone, including the Krishna-Godavari, Cauvery, Mahanadi and Andaman regions.
- Why
- To reduce India's dependence on crude oil imports, which cover nearly nine-tenths of its requirement, and to boost domestic production for energy security.
- Scheme
- Samudra Manthan (National Offshore Exploration Scheme)
- Total outlay
- Rs 84,084 crore
- Duration
- Through FY 2030-31
- Drilling budget
- Rs 43,200 crore for 60 deepwater exploration wells
- Maximum government support
- Up to 50% of eligible cost, capped at Rs 675 crore per well
- Typical deepwater well cost
- $125-150 million
- Annual crude import bill
- Nearly $144 billion
- Production target
- Raise output from about 62 MMTOE to 80 MMTOE