The Vietnam government has extended the tenure of ONGC Videsh's oil exploration activities in "Block 128" located in the South China Sea region by three years, the company said on microblogging site X, formerly Twitter.
"India's strategic commitment stays strong as ONGC Videsh continues its exploration journey with its 8th extension till 15 June 2026," the state-run firm posted on the social media platform.
This is the eighth time when Hanoi has widened the timeframe of the Indian oil exploration firm's activities in the contested waters of the South China Sea (SCS).
Several nations, including China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines have competing territorial claims in the South China Sea.
In the past, India's mission to discover oil deposits in the SCS region has not gone down well with China with Beijing claiming the sea route in its entirety.
Notably, "Block 128" falls within China's "nine-dash line", which is a set of stripes printed on historical maps that spell out Beijing's claims over the SCS.