India's Data-First Strategy Unlocks Offshore Energy Wealth, Says Hardeep Puri

In his posts on X, the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, highlighted that India is moving beyond blind exploration and is embracing a bold multi-client model that allows more minds to interpret, innovate, and discover, thereby decisively changing how E&P has been considered a sector of uncertainty.

He further added that with SamudraManthan, India's vast offshore potential is being unlocked with openness, collaboration, and cutting-edge science to fulfil our quest towards energy Aatmanirbharta.

"From blind exploration to data-driven discovery, India is ready. At today's Data-Led Exploration Conference, we reaffirmed a simple truth: exploration succeeds when knowledge is shared, not siloed. By welcoming a robust multi-client data ecosystem that allows more minds to interpret, innovate, and discover, India is decisively changing how E&P has been considered a sector of uncertainty. The more eyes on the data, the greater the possibilities beneath our seas. With #SamudraManthan, we are unlocking India's vast offshore potential with openness, collaboration, and cutting-edge science under the decisive and visionary leadership of PM Sh @narendramodi Ji," he posted on X.

Notably, a conference on "Data Driven Exploration" was convened by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) in the context of India's expanding exploration agenda under the Samudra Manthan - National Offshore Mission, to engage industry on accelerating India's exploration outcomes through a stronger data ecosystem on Saturday.

As per the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas press release, the conference was chaired by the Secretary, M/o Petroleum & Natural Gas, and witnessed participation by over 80 participants including M/o PNG, DGH, national oil companies, global Exploration & Production(E&P) players (BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, etc.), private operators (Reliance Industries, Cairn India, Invenire Energy, Adani Welspun Exploration) , and leading seismic service providers and technology players (TGS, Viridien, Shearwater GeoServices, SLB, Wave Geo Services).

With a renewed focus on offshore and frontier basin development, the conference aimed to engage industry stakeholders on the role of seismic data in enabling exploration outcomes.

The release highlighted that participants stressed the importance of availability, quality and accessibility of seismic data in determining exploration success. Gaps in data coverage, particularly in deepwater and frontier basins, were identified as key constraints affecting investment and exploration activity.

Stakeholders also emphasised the need for accelerated seismic data acquisition aligned with upcoming licensing rounds and discussed the role of multi-client seismic models in improving cost efficiency and expanding participation.

The government's role in enabling the data ecosystem through policy support, investment and improved data access frameworks was also highlighted, along with the need for robust procurement mechanisms.

The release noted that proposals include finalising a prioritised data acquisition roadmap, reprocessing existing datasets and developing suitable commercial frameworks to enhance exploration activity.

- ANI