CHENNAI: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has received approval to extract oil and gas from four offshore deep-sea blocks along the Tamil Nadu coast, following the conclusion of India's 9th round of oil and gas block auctions.

The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas initiated the 9th round of bidding in January 2024, offering 28 exploration blocks covering a total area of 1,36,596 square kilometers across the country. Among these, four blocks were located off Tamil Nadu’s coast — three near Kanyakumari and one near Chennai — according to a Thanthi TV report.

The auction, completed last week in Delhi, awarded ONGC the rights to carry out extraction operations in these deep-sea blocks. However, the decision has sparked strong opposition from local fishermen associations and environmental groups. They have voiced serious concerns, warning that offshore drilling activities could endanger marine biodiversity and threaten the livelihoods of coastal communities dependent on fishing.

Authorities are expected to hold consultations with stakeholders to address these concerns as ONGC prepares to commence exploration activities.