The state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is all set to intensify its oil and natural gas exploration efforts in Andhra Pradesh. The company has announced plans to invest around ₹8,110 crores in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin region, specifically in Konaseema, where it will drill 172 new wells.

The proposal, submitted by ONGC, recently received conditional approval from the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

Under this project, ONGC will carry out drilling operations across eight Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) blocks in the Konaseema region. Of the total project cost, ₹172 crores will be allocated for environmental management and ₹11 crores for public consultation and community-related programs.

However, the committee has imposed several strict environmental conditions. It clearly stated that none of the drilling wells should be within a 10-kilometer radius of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary. Additionally, if any pipelines need to pass through forest or protected areas, ONGC must obtain prior approvals.

These conditions were imposed amid growing local concerns about land subsidence in the Konaseema region due to ongoing oil field activities.

The KG Basin is estimated to hold about 6.98 billion tonnes of oil and gas reserves. Given India’s increasing energy demand, both ONGC and Reliance have been accelerating exploration projects in this area.

Even though the use of renewable energy is expanding in India, oil demand is expected to continue rising — possibly doubling by 2050, according to reports by British Petroleum (BP). In this context, ONGC’s massive project aims to strengthen domestic production and reduce dependence on imports.