INDIA —Cairn Oil & Gas, the upstream subsidiary of Vedanta Limited and India’s largest private crude oil producer, has launched an international call for partners to support a USD 5 billion capital expenditure program scheduled over the next two to three years. According to company disclosures, the initiative spans drilling expansion, production optimization and gas commercialization across its portfolio of 55 exploration and production blocks.
The company is seeking global drilling contractors to deploy advanced rigs across 12 sites - 10 onshore and two shallow-water offshore, for multi-year operations. Selected contractors will manage end-to-end rig activities, including logistics, equipment maintenance and field operations. The move signals a sustained ramp-up in exploration and development activity within India’s upstream segment.
In parallel, Cairn is pursuing technical collaborators specializing in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) solutions to maximize output from mature assets. Proposed technologies include Alkaline Surfactant Polymer (ASP) and other recovery-enhancement methods aimed at lifting brownfield productivity across varied reservoir types.
Separately, bids have been invited for the sale of natural gas from the Jaya Field in Gujarat’s Bharuch district through an electronic auction conducted by an independent agency empanelled by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons. The combined initiatives underscore renewed private-sector investment in India’s oil and gas sector, with implications for drilling services, oilfield technology providers, and downstream gas consumers seeking domestic supply security.
