India can triple its current oil production of 32 million tonne a year in the next 10 years as the deepwaters on the east and west coasts of the country hold huge unexplored hydrocarbon reserves, directorate general of hydrocarbons, the government's upstream nodal agency, said on Tuesday.

"Seismic surveys have mapped over 140 plays (hydrocarbon sources) on the east and west coast. Extensive exploration of these can upgrade the current inplace reserves of 7.2 billion tonne to 14.2-16.2 billion tonne which would give additional recoverable reserves of 3.5-4 billion tonne," Avinash Chandra, Director General, DGH, said at a seminar in New Delhi.

Exploration in deepwaters of Krishna Godavari Basin, off the Andhra cost, has given seven gas discoveries with reserves of 10.5 trillion cubic feet.

Reliance Industries has struck 9.46 tcf gas in D6 block while Cairn Energy of UK has found 1.2 tcf in the adjacent D5 block, he said.

"Another 10 tcf reserves are estimated in another shallow water block (awarded to GSPC) in the same basin," he said adding the total potential of in KG Basin was 40-50 tcf.

Chandra said 80 palces have been mapped on the east coast, while another 50 leads have been found on the southern tip.

Besides, deepwaters on the west coast hold 4-5 times of reserves of Mumbai High field, which produces 40 per cent of India's crude, he said.

"The next big discovery is going to be in Mahanadi basin," he added.

Chandra said the current gas output of 29 billion cubic metres a year would be doubled in the next five years as new discoveries are being made.

"The Reliance Industries' D6 block in KG Basin can alone produce 80 million standard cubic metres per day," he said.

The DGH also advocates extending exploration activity beyond the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of India.

"We have 3.14 million square km under EEZ and if it is extended up to 350 Nautical Miles, than we will have 4.14 million square km for exploration," he said.

He said DGH has revised the resource potential of the country to 32 billion tonne from earlier 28 billion tonne in view of the recent finds.

KG basin may have over 15 tcf gas reserves