Bharat could unlock a hidden treasure beneath the Andaman Sea, a potential oil jackpot that could redefine India’s energy future and propel it towards a US$20 TRILLION economy, if confirmed!

The Indian Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, has revealed that India is very close to discovering a Guyana-scale oil field in the Andaman Sea, which could hold as much as 184,440 crore litres of crude oil. For context, Guyana ranks 17th globally in terms of oil reserves, with an estimated 11.6 billion barrels of oil and gas reserves.

Why This Matters?
India currently imports 85–88% of its crude oil (cost: ₹12 lakh crore/year), making it the world’s third-largest importer. A commercially viable discovery could:
✅ Reduce India’s import dependency by ~10–12%, enhancing fiscal resilience
✅ Accelerate economic growth—potentially elevating India from a US$3.7 T to a US$20 T economy over the long term
✅ Strengthen energy security in a geopolitically critical maritime corridor
✅ Catalyst for large-scale employment generation and fostering extensive infrastructure development across the value chain

The Road Ahead: While the prospects are incredibly promising, it is crucial to recognize that deepwater exploration is inherently capital-intensive, technically complex, and requires considerable time. Full-scale production from a major deepwater field typically takes 5 to 10 years, or even more, from discovery to operational maturity. Factors such as geological complexity, environmental considerations, and market dynamics will influence the pace and viability.