India's Hydrocarbon Outlook – 2022-2023

193 DGH: 3 DECADES OF UNLOCKING INDIA'S HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL India’s energy security has a vital role in national development and is highly dependent on the seas. India’s E&P industry is heavily dependent upon production from offshore fields. At present offshore oil fields contribute half of oil production and offshore gas fields contribute two-third of Gas Production is the country. Development of An Integrated Security Management Framework The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) abuts the entire coast of India. Within the EEZ various E&P companies, both state-owned and private have been awarded blocks for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons. An Operating Framework was issued on 02 Sept 2022 for concurrent use of EEZ and it consists of a set of protocols and Standard Operating Producers (SoP) to ensure safety of entities operating by adhering to international practices like NAVAREA*/NOTAM** and swift information exchange about ongoing and upcoming activities in advance. Protocols have also been developed and established for the defence and space agencies operating in the area for ensuring safety of E&P operators. A GIS based portal was developed by BISAG-N, Gujarat in compliance to the Operating Framework. This portal is essentially amonitoring and decision support system to ensures the adherence with protocols laid down in the Operating Framework. With the help of this portal, all fixed and mobile assets in the EEZ can be monitored in real time. NAVAREA/NOTAM warnings can be directly downloaded from the site, in addition to their being forwarded to operators for compliance and the same can be monitored on this portal. Preparation of the Operating Framework and development of the GIS based portal are additional tools to ensure the safety of E&P operators. Any tool is as good as the people who handle/utilise it. With the aim of utilizing this tool to the optimum, a group of officers fromdifferent departments of DGH were designated as Nodal officers. These nodal officers were designated for implementing the Operating Framework and act as a communication link/bridge between the E&P operator and the Security and Coordination Cell. A Command and Control (C&C) Center has been established at DGH office to monitor all the fixed and mobile E&P assets in real-time. This C&C Center will also disseminate information regarding the activities of government agencies through nodal officers. *NAVAREA warnings contain information specific to ocean-going mariners **NOTAM are notices distributed by means of telecommunication containing information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure, or hazard