Andhra govt issues NOC to Vedanta Ltd to drill 20 onshore oil, gas wells

Core Viewpoint - The Andhra Pradesh government has granted a conditional "No Objection Certificate" (NOC) to Vedanta Limited (Cairn Oil & Gas Division) for drilling 20 onshore wells in Krishna district, as part of the development of the Onshore Oil and Gas Field under the Discovered Small Field (DSF) Policy, 2018 [1][3]. Group 1 - Vedanta Limited has requested an NOC for drilling at 35 locations within the block, which is located in various village limits, for Onshore Oil and Gas Development and Production [2]. - The NOC issued is temporary and subject to specific terms and conditions, emphasizing that all necessary permissions must be obtained from relevant departments before operations commence [4]. - The order specifies that no water shall be drawn from irrigation canal sources, including the Bandar Canal and other surface-water sources [5]. Group 2 - Cairn Oil & Gas, a division of Vedanta Limited, is recognized as India's largest private oil and gas exploration and production company, contributing approximately 25% of the country's domestic crude production, with a goal to increase this contribution to 50% through sustainable practices [5].