Shattering The Glass Ceiling: Woman Geoscientist From Cairn Surveying Deep Waters Of Bay Of Bengal 

Kolkata, May 5, 2025: In a first, Prapti Sah, a 25-year-old Geoscientist from Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Group, has taken off on a 21-day expedition into the high seas of Bay of Bengal in the Krishna Godavari (KG) Basin. Sah is the only woman from Cairn who is currently sailing in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin, in the east coast of India, accelerating the company’s readiness for the upcoming deepwater exploration drilling campaign. 

Cairn, India’s largest private oil and gas operator, recently announced its partnership with Electromagnetic Geoservices (EMGS), a Norwegian company, to execute one of the first 3D Controlled Source Electro-magnetic (CSEM) surveys in the KG block.  

Sah is the only woman Geoscientist along with Sanskar Saraf, another young Geoscientist currently aboard the large survey vessel – Atlantic Guardian, sailing in the Bay of Bengal. The duo is part of a six-member team – with just 2-3 years’ experience – who have been selected to conduct a high-tech seismic survey to explore the hydrocarbons in India’s offshore block, in three different batches.  

They will carry out a high-tech CSEM survey to map subsurface resistivity — injecting low-frequency electromagnetic fields into the seabed and capturing how these signals reflect through different geological layers. The data is being gathered across a vast survey area of 3,600 sq km at water depths ranging from 500 metres to 2500 metres. These young geoscientists will help in precise drilling decisions based on the most accurate and comprehensive subsurface data.   

When asked about their experience on the ship, Sah mentioned, “It’s been both challenging and thrilling to be on the ship. There are days when we work 24x7 and we not only have to handle operations but also take managerial decisions. We are very grateful to be a part of this significant exploration campaign with a goal of increasing domestic production. When we started sailing, the change in climate and motion sickness felt like a challenge, but after more than 10 days onboard and looking at the larger picture, we are very motivated to achieve great results with this survey.”

Through initiatives like the BOLD graduate program, leadership development frameworks, advanced training facilities, and dedicated mentorship programs, Cairn has been actively involved in empowering the next generation of talent in the oil and gas sector.