Government does not implement EOR projects, cites IEA on 2% decline rate

The government responded with production data, explanations for natural decline, and details on operator-led recovery initiatives and new offshore schemes.

Asked and answered by: Asked by: Ms. Mahua Moitra (MP); Answered by: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri)

What the government said

• Domestic crude oil production declined from 29.36 MMT in 2023-24 to 27.96 MMT in 2025-26.
• Onshore production decreased from 14.33 MMT to 13.13 MMT over the same period, while offshore production remained relatively stable (15.03 MMT to 14.83 MMT).
• ONGC and Oil India Limited (OIL) have contained the annual decline rate to around 2% since 2014-15, which is stated to be 3 times superior to the global average of 6%.
• The Government does not directly implement field-level EOR/IOR projects; this responsibility lies with Exploration and Production (E&P) operators under the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948.
• The Union Cabinet approved the 'Samudra Manthan' National Offshore Exploration Scheme on 31.07.2026 with an outlay of Rs. 84,084 crore for implementation up to FY 2030-31.
• Operators such as ONGC, OIL, and Vedanta are implementing specific EOR techniques including polymer flooding, microbial EOR, and cyclic steam stimulation.
• No single national target for EOR contribution to production by 2030 is set, as EOR is planned field-wise by individual operators based on technical and economic viability.

Also in the document

• The answer explicitly states that the Government does not directly implement field-level EOR or reservoir re-evaluation projects, attributing this responsibility to E&P operators.
• The answer provides no specific numerical projection for the contribution of EOR to domestic crude oil production by 2030, explaining that it will be the aggregate of incremental production from various operator-led projects.
• The government cites the International Energy Agency (IEA) to claim that the 2% decline rate of Indian National Oil Companies is superior to the global average of 6% for mature fields.