RAS question
At what water depth was the Sri Vijayapuram-2 well located where natural gas was discovered off Andaman Islands?
Correct answer: (B) 295 metres.
The Sri Vijayapuram-2 well, where natural gas was discovered off the Andaman Islands, was located at a water depth of 295 metres.
Explanation
Sri Vijayapuram-2 was the well in the Andaman Sea where natural gas occurrence was reported. Akashvani News, citing Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, places the well 9.20 nautical miles, or 17 km, from the shoreline on the east coast of the Andaman Islands, with a water depth of 295 metres and a target depth of 2,650 metres. The correct figure is 295 metres: it is not the drilling target depth, nor a rounded estimate of offshore distance, but the depth of seawater at the well location. The discovery was linked to initial production testing that established the presence of natural gas.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 150 metres is incorrect; the water depth for Sri Vijayapuram-2 is 295 metres.
- (C) 500 metres overstates the water depth; Sri Vijayapuram-2 was located at a water depth of 295 metres.
- (D) 1,000 metres is not the water depth and should not be confused with the much deeper 2,650-metre target depth.
Concept
This tests Science and Technology current affairs around offshore hydrocarbon exploration. RAS often asks such figures because energy discoveries link resource geography, technology missions, and government announcements.