About IWM

---

The western margin of India has always been intriguing with a complex geological history since its breakup from the Gondwanaland. This margin is intricately linked to the formation of modern-day continental landmasses such as Madagascar, Sudan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Laccadives, and Seychelles, as well as notable oceanic features like the Carlsberg Ridge, volcanic terrains, and fracture zones. The rapid flight of India and it’s collision with Eurasia led to the rise of the Himalayas as a spectacular feature on the Earth’s surface. Despite being a predominantly, a passive margin since the Cretaceous, the western margin of India has a paucity of deepwater hydrocarbon-bearing fans, which are abundant in other regions of the globe such as Nigeria and the Atlantic margin. The Bombay High region is a notable exception, with commercially viable hydrocarbons identified in the Neogene section. Beyond Bombay High, however, there have been no significant commercial deepwater hydrocarbon discoveries along the western margin. In stark contrast, the eastern margin of India boasts multiple discoveries across the Mahanadi, Krishna-Godavari, and Cauvery basins, making this disparity a significant geological and economic anomaly.

        The two-day integrated geoscience seminar being organized by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay aims to address the critical knowledge gaps in understanding the Indian western margin, petroleum systems, and hydrocarbon prospects, from the Kerala-Konkan to Kutch offshore regions. This geoscience seminar is expected to provide an interactive podium for multiple organizations from the government and premier research organizations, to share the current state of knowledge, to support intellectual curiosity, and hopes to address some of the fundamental questions on the geology and hydrocarbon potential of the western margin of India. 

         On Day 1, the seminar will focus on rifting history of India from East Africa and Madagascar, plate tectonic reconstructions, the age of the oceanic crust and early sedimentation, the nature of COB, Deccan volcanism, etc., to make a quantitative evaluation of the western Indian margin evolution and related tectonic processes. The paleo bio-markers, sedimentation patterns, insights from DSDP/ODP cores, and the role of deep-sea fans in shaping the region's geological history will also be discussed. The first day will also include an exploration of the stratigraphic record, sedimentary environments, and their connection to regional petroleum systems, followed by an interdisciplinary approach to understanding rift architecture and modelling sedimentary basins' evolution along India's west coast. 

        Day 2 will focus on basin architecture sedimentary basin histories, basin modeling, petroleum systems, recent advancements in data acquisition and integrated interpretations, innovative technologies in exploration, hydrocarbon potential resources evaluations from Kerala offshore to Kutch offshore. The seminar will conclude with panel discussion on existing challenges in deepwater exploration, and potential opportunities for collaborations in meeting the India’s growing energy demand.