CHENNAI: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has been awarded four offshore blocks off the Tamil Nadu coast for oil and gas exploration, following the ninth round of bidding under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) conducted by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH).
The four blocks — one off Chennai and three near Kanniyakumari — together cover 32,485.29 sq km.
ONGC emerged as the successful bidder after a competitive process that also saw participation from Vedanta.
The international tender was floated in January 2024, with the bidding deadline later extended to September to ensure wider competition.
The awarded blocks include CY-UDWHP-2022/1, CY-UDWHP-2022/2, CY-UDWHP-2022/3, and CY-UDWHP-2023/1, located in deep-sea zones, marking a major expansion of ONGC's exploration footprint in the southern offshore basins (Cauvery Basin).
While the move is seen as a boost to India's goal of enhancing domestic hydrocarbon production, it has drawn opposition from environmental groups, fishermen associations, and political parties, who fear large-scale exploration activities could damage fragile marine ecosystems and impact fishing livelihoods.
ONGC is expected to commence seismic surveys and preliminary studies shortly, following final regulatory clearances.
READ RELATED STORIES: