MAYILADUTHURAI: The proposed offshore hydrocarbon drilling project by the Hindustan Oil Exploration Company (HOEC) off the Parangipettai coast in Cuddalore district has drawn opposition from environmental activists, who warned that the project could severely affect the marine ecosystem and fishing livelihoods in the region, and called upon the state government to reject the project.
The project, proposed in the PY-1 field of the Cauvery Basin, involves drilling four additional development wells and linking them to an existing unmanned offshore platform and subsea pipeline to offset declining production without increasing approved output levels. The proposed wells fall under Coastal Regulation Zone-IV (A) limits, and the project is estimated to cost Rs 425 crore. Sources said that the HOEC has sought Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance from the Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority for the proposed project.
At a press meet in Mayiladuthurai on Saturday, Anti-Methane Project Federation coordinator Prof T Jayaraman urged the Tamil Nadu government not to grant permission for the project.
Jayaraman said HOEC has sought approval from the Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority to drill four hydrocarbon wells around 18 km off the Parangipettai coast. He alleged that hydrocarbon drilling and possible chemical leakages could seriously damage the marine ecosystem. Seismic surveys carried out for oil exploration could affect the sensory systems of fish, leading to depletion of marine resources and migration of fish, he said. He also warned that mangrove forests near Parangipettai could face ecological damage.
The federation further stated that despite being offshore, the proposed drilling site is located close to the coastline and could impact coastal ecology, groundwater resources and fishing livelihoods.
Jayaraman said that the proposal could pave the way for more offshore hydrocarbon projects in the region and urged the state government to reject all such projects in both onshore and offshore areas at the initial stage itself.
Earlier on Thursday, G Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal (environmental organisation) urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to reject the offshore hydrocarbon project. In a post on X, stating that the project could severely impact marine biodiversity, natural coastal resources and fishermen’s livelihoods, Sundarrajan urged the current TVK government to continue the previous government’s stand opposing offshore hydrocarbon projects, and reject the CRZ clearance application.