Media365
The escalating crisis in West Asia has breathed new life into one of India’s most ambitious but long-dormant energy infrastructure proposals — a nearly 2,000-kilometre deep-sea pipeline that would transport natural gas directly from Oman to Gujarat.
The proposed Oman-Gujarat Deep-Sea Gas Pipeline, estimated to cost around Rs 40,000 crore, has remained on the drawing board for more than three decades. But growing concerns over energy security following disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have prompted policymakers and energy experts to once again examine whether the project could help reduce India’s vulnerability to geopolitical shocks.
The renewed interest comes as tensions in West Asia have highlighted the risks associated with India’s heavy dependence on imported energy supplies from the Gulf region.
Hormuz disruptions expose India’s energy vulnerability
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea, handles nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade and a significant share of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.
The ongoing conflict in West Asia has renewed fears over the security of energy flows through the chokepoint, sending crude oil and natural gas prices higher and increasing shipping costs.
India remains particularly exposed to such disruptions. The country imports nearly 85 per cent of its crude oil requirements and relies heavily on overseas supplies of natural gas. A substantial portion of these imports originates in Gulf nations and passes through the Strait of Hormuz before reaching Indian ports.
The latest crisis has revived a longstanding question in energy policy circles: how can India secure reliable supplies if a key maritime route becomes inaccessible or severely disrupted?
Supporters of the Oman-Gujarat pipeline argue that a direct undersea energy corridor could provide part of the answer.
What is the Oman-Gujarat pipeline?
Often referred to as the Middle East-India Deepwater Pipeline, the project envisages transporting natural gas directly from Oman to India’s western coast through an underwater pipeline stretching nearly 2,000 kilometres across the Arabian Sea.
Unlike LNG imports, which require gas to be liquefied, shipped by specialised tankers and regasified upon arrival, pipeline gas would flow directly from the source to the destination.
Proponents say the arrangement could offer a more stable and predictable supply route while reducing exposure to disruptions affecting maritime trade.
The project is also seen as a strategic energy link that could deepen economic ties between India and Oman while potentially opening access to gas supplies from other Gulf producers in the future.
One of the world’s deepest pipeline projects
What makes the proposal particularly ambitious is the depth at which it would operate.
Parts of the planned route are expected to lie more than 3,000 metres below sea level, with some estimates suggesting maximum depths of around 3,450 metres.
That would make it one of the deepest subsea pipeline projects ever attempted anywhere in the world.
Building and maintaining infrastructure at such depths would require advanced engineering solutions capable of withstanding extreme underwater pressure and difficult seabed conditions.
Supporters of the project argue that advances in offshore technology over the past two decades have significantly improved the feasibility of such large-scale deepwater infrastructure.
According to project proposals, transportation costs could range between $2 and $2.25 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), although actual costs would depend on financing arrangements, construction expenses and future energy prices.
A project decades in the making
The idea of connecting India and Oman through an undersea pipeline dates back more than 30 years.
Over the years, multiple studies have explored its technical and commercial viability. However, high costs, engineering challenges and uncertainty over long-term returns repeatedly prevented the project from moving beyond the planning stage.
Earlier attempts also struggled because offshore construction technology was less advanced and global gas markets offered alternative supply options that appeared more economical.
South Asia Gas Enterprise (SAGE), which has long championed the project, says it has carried out technical assessments, financial studies and seabed surveys along the proposed route.
According to reports, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has asked state-run companies including GAIL, Engineers India and Indian Oil Corporation to prepare a detailed feasibility report based on a pre-feasibility study submitted by SAGE.
A positive assessment could pave the way for formal discussions with Oman on gas supply arrangements, project financing and implementation timelines.
Significant hurdles remain
Despite the strategic appeal, major challenges remain before the project can become a reality.
The most obvious obstacle is engineering complexity. Operating at depths exceeding 3,000 metres would make installation, monitoring and maintenance significantly more difficult than conventional offshore pipeline projects.
Any leak or technical failure could be costly and time-consuming to repair, requiring specialised equipment and vessels.
The economics of the project also remain uncertain.
While the estimated cost currently stands at around Rs 40,000 crore, large infrastructure projects frequently face cost overruns and delays. The commercial viability of the pipeline will ultimately depend on long-term gas demand, future energy prices and transportation costs.
Financing presents another challenge. Questions remain over who would fund the project, how risks would be shared among stakeholders and whether long-term supply contracts can provide sufficient certainty for investors.
More than an energy project
For India, the Oman-Gujarat pipeline is about more than securing natural gas supplies.
The proposal aligns with a broader push to strengthen energy resilience and reduce dependence on vulnerable maritime routes. A direct energy corridor linking India with Gulf producers could also enhance strategic partnerships and provide greater flexibility in managing future energy needs.
Some analysts believe that infrastructure built today could eventually support emerging fuels such as hydrogen, making the project relevant even as the global energy transition gathers pace.
For now, however, the pipeline remains a proposal rather than a construction project.
Yet as the crisis in West Asia underscores the fragility of global energy supply chains, India’s three-decade-old Oman pipeline dream is once again being viewed not merely as an engineering challenge but as a potential strategic necessity.
First Published:
June 10, 2026, 07:34 IST
End of Article
