The government of Andhra Pradesh has granted a conditional "No Objection Certificate" to Vedanta Limited (Cairn Oil & Gas Division) for the drilling of 20 onshore wells in the Krishna district.

Per a recent Government Order, Vedanta Limited (Cairn Oil & Gas Division) has presented a statement indicating that their company was granted the contract for the development of the Onshore Oil and Gas Field under the Discovered Small Field (DSF) Policy, 2018.

Additionally, they sought to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for drilling wells at 35 sites within the block situated in different village boundaries for Onshore Oil and Gas Development and Production, from the Water Resources Department of Andhra Pradesh, given that the Bandar Canal traverses the middle of the proposed block.

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Following a thorough review of the issue, the government now grants a No Objection Certificate to M/s Vedanta Limited (Cairn Oil & Gas Division), Mumbai, for the drilling of 20 wells at the locations specified in paragraph (2) above, contingent upon the terms and conditions outlined in paragraph (3) above, according to the order.

The Engineer-in-Chief (Irrigation), Water Resources Department, Vijayawada, the Chief Engineer, Krishna Delta System, Vijayawada, and the Collector of Krishna District will take the required actions accordingly, it stated.

As per the order, the NoC can be granted solely from the irrigation perspective and is entirely provisional. The applicant must secure all necessary approvals from the relevant departments prior to starting operations, in accordance with regulations.

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Withdrawal of water from irrigation canal sources including the Bandar Canal, KDS canal network, drainage systems, ponds, reservoirs, or any other surface-water source is prohibited, it stated.

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Cairn Oil & Gas, part of Vedanta Limited, represents India's largest private entity in oil and gas exploration and production, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the nation's domestic crude output, aiming to elevate this share to 50 percent via sustainable and accountable methods.