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Cairn Oil & Gas, a subsidiary of India’s Vedanta Ltd., has notified the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas about a new hydrocarbon discovery at the Ambe-2A exploration well, located offshore on the country’s western coast.
According to the company, the gas discovery was recorded in reservoirs beneath the primary gas field, within the Miocene-Tarkeshwar geological formation. Cairn is currently conducting detailed evaluation activities to determine the reserve volume and commercial viability, which will inform future field development plans.
This discovery marks a significant milestone in India’s strategy to boost domestic gas production, as the nation accelerates its push toward energy self-sufficiency and reduced reliance on fossil fuel imports. Cairn plans to drill two additional wells as part of its ongoing exploration campaign in the Ambe area to further clarify the geological structure and extraction potential.
The Ambe field is expected to make a substantial contribution to domestic gas output, provided that appraisal and development efforts yield positive results. This would solidify Cairn’s role in India’s domestic energy supply chain, particularly in the natural gas sector—a critical “transition fuel” in the country’s decarbonization roadmap.
Exploration and development activities at Ambe align with Cairn’s broader strategy to expand offshore operations along both India’s eastern and western coasts. This approach supports the Samudra Manthan mission, launched by India’s Prime Minister, which aims to accelerate exploration and production from offshore oil and gas fields, especially shallow-water and marginal fields.
Notably, Cairn recently installed India’s first subsea template (SST) as part of its deployment of a Conductor Supported Platform (CSP) production system. This technical achievement is pivotal for enabling commercial extraction from small and marginal fields under the Small Discoveries Monetization Program.
The prefabricated steel foundation, positioned on the seabed, ensures precise wellbore alignment while providing structural support for equipment and wellhead protection. This innovation is expected to shorten field development timelines and optimize extraction costs for smaller-scale reserves.
Spanning approximately 728.19 km², the Ambe block was awarded to Cairn during the DSF-III bidding round in September 2022. The company holds a 100% participating interest in the block. Cairn previously recorded its first hydrocarbon discovery in the area during an earlier production phase.
With the new discovery at Ambe-2A, Cairn continues to expand its offshore asset portfolio while contributing to India’s collective efforts to increase domestic oil and gas production and strengthen long-term national energy security.
