ISRO’s SDSC to be shifted for oil exploration in Bay of Bengal

Satish Dhawan Space Centre(SDSC) , Sriharikota , the satellite launching centre of ISRO would be shift its northern boundary to make a way for the oil exploration.

The consortium of Cairn India , Tata , ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Corp ) had to explore oil and Gas in Bay of Bengal.

ISRO would shift the boundary of the prohibited zone seven kilometers south to permit exploration drilling by operator Cairn. The consortium had put in $31 million in exploring block PR-0SN-2004/1 in Palar basin.

As the consortium claims that a site in the zone has best chance of establishing petroleum system. It was held for huge potential to attract investors in the future.

ISRO had stopped effective exploration in last two years as DoS(Department Of Space) refused to give drilling permission as the site was within 10-km radius of Satish Dhawan Space Centre — a strategic zone in terms of national security.

The DoS had maintained for years that there was a vulnerability of radio frequency interference as well as the risk of space debris falling on any installations that come up for exploration.

Satish Dhawan Space Centre
The Satish Dhawan Space Centre is the launch centre for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, 80 km north of Chennai. Originally called Sriharikota High Altitude Range (SHAR) and then Sriharikota Launching Range, the centre was renamed in 2002 after the death of ISRO's former chairman Satish Dhawan.

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