New Delhi, Jan 14: India’s oil sector achieved a significant milestone with the discovery of light crude oil in an onshore hydrocarbon block in Abu Dhabi, announced by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on January 14.
The discovery, made by Urja Bharat PTE Ltd— a joint venture between Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat PetroResources Ltd—was confirmed in the Shilaif play (XN 76) and the Habshan reservoir (XN 79 02S).
This breakthrough is seen as a step toward energy self-sufficiency under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and highlights the technical excellence of Indian teams in energy exploration. Additionally, India is expanding its domestic exploration efforts, with seven sedimentary basins currently under advanced study, and the launch of Mission Anveshan aims to cover 20,000 ground-line kilometers for seismic surveys, with over 8,000 kilometers already completed.
The country’s offshore oilfield exploration area has been significantly expanded, with 99% of ‘No-Go’ zones cleared, enhancing opportunities under the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP), which has drawn interest from global energy companies. Currently, 154 exploration blocks are active in India, with 14 recent discoveries made in the sector.
