New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved the National Offshore Exploration Scheme (NOES) – ‘Samudra Manthan’, a major initiative aimed at unlocking India’s offshore oil and gas potential and strengthening the country’s long-term energy security.
The Central Sector Scheme, to be implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has been approved with an outlay of ₹84,084 crore and will be implemented up to FY 2030-31.
Inspired by the Prime Minister’s vision of a modern-day Samudra Manthan, the scheme seeks to accelerate offshore exploration, boost domestic energy production, promote advanced technologies and support the vision of Viksit Bharat.
₹84,084 Crore Scheme to Strengthen India’s Energy Security
The National Offshore Exploration Scheme aims to significantly enhance India’s ability to discover and develop offshore oil and gas resources.
The key objectives of the scheme include:
- Strengthening India’s energy security.
- Accelerating domestic oil and gas exploration and production.
- Unlocking offshore hydrocarbon resources.
- Promoting technological leadership in offshore exploration.
- Supporting the vision of Viksit Bharat through energy self-reliance.
The government expects the initiative to reduce dependence on imported energy by increasing domestic production.
Major Focus on Deepwater and Ultra-Deepwater Exploration
A significant portion of the scheme will focus on expanding offshore exploration activities in deepwater and ultra-deepwater regions.
Key interventions include:
- Large-scale acquisition of high-quality seismic data.
- Advanced interpretation of seismic data.
- Faster exploratory drilling in deepwater and ultra-deepwater blocks.
- Scientific drilling in frontier offshore basins.
- Improved exploration of unexplored offshore regions.
These activities are expected to improve the identification of commercially viable hydrocarbon reserves.
Common Offshore Infrastructure to Support Production
The scheme also proposes the development of common offshore infrastructure to improve production efficiency.
Planned infrastructure includes:
- Offshore production facilities.
- Evacuation infrastructure for oil and gas.
- Shared infrastructure to support multiple exploration projects.
- Integrated planning for offshore operations.
Developing common infrastructure is expected to reduce project costs and improve operational efficiency.
Manufacturing, Technology and Capacity Building Included
Beyond exploration, the scheme also focuses on strengthening India’s offshore energy ecosystem.
The initiative includes:
- Development of an integrated Oil & Gas Manufacturing and Services Zone.
- Digital programme management systems.
- Capacity building and skill development.
- Adoption of advanced technologies.
- International collaboration and outreach.
These measures aim to enhance India’s technological capabilities and create a globally competitive offshore energy sector.
Scheme Expected to Unlock Over 600 MMTOE of Reserves
According to the government, Samudra Manthan is expected to catalyse reserve accretion of more than 600 Million Metric Tons of Oil Equivalent (MMTOE).
The initiative is also projected to:
- Increase offshore exploration activity.
- Boost domestic crude oil and natural gas production.
- Generate large-scale employment opportunities.
- Encourage long-term private and public investment.
- Strengthen indigenous manufacturing under the Make in India initiative.
- Support the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.
The scheme is expected to create significant opportunities across the entire exploration and production value chain.
Long-Term Vision for India’s Offshore Energy Sector
The Samudra Manthan scheme is designed to build a robust ecosystem for offshore technologies, services and infrastructure while encouraging sustained investments in India’s energy sector.
By combining advanced exploration technologies, modern infrastructure and domestic manufacturing, the government aims to position India as a stronger player in offshore oil and gas exploration.
The initiative is expected to play a key role in improving India’s energy security, enhancing domestic production and supporting long-term economic growth through increased investment, employment and technological innovation.
