
Avi Bhansali
Strategic professional with 13 years of experience in concept development, opportunity evaluation, Business planning, project strategy, and operations management within the oil & gas sector. Proven ability to integrate technical, commercial, and operational insights to drive value-based decision-making and deliver sustainable solutions. Skilled in framing decisions under uncertainty, optimizing resources, and leading cross-functional teams to achieve commercial and operational excellence.
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About
Strategic professional with 13 years of experience in concept development, opportunity evaluation, project strategy, and operations management within the oil & gas sector. Proven ability to integrate technical, commercial, and operational insights to drive value-based decision-making and deliver sustainable solutions. Skilled in framing decisions under uncertainty, optimizing resources, and leading cross-functional teams to achieve commercial and operational excellence.
Experience
Senior Manager, Business Planning & Sales at Vedanta Cairn Oil & Gas (2022-01 – Present)
Leading business planning and sales strategy for India's largest private sector oil & gas block
- Secured Budget Approvals to tune to USD 1.2 Bn for India's Largest Private Sector Block for 50+ well drilling and ASP surface facility
- Identified commercial and operational risks; maintained a dynamic risk register with mitigation actions tied to schedule and resource plans
- Spearheaded approval process for Field development plans for 13 fields facilitating accelerated production and long term resource mobilization
- Negotiated contract terms contributing to ~30% increase in field sales and ~18% improvement in realized pricing
- Fostered transparent stakeholder communication, ensuring escalation paths, alignment across internal and external JV/regulatory bodies
Project Manager, Brownfield Projects at Vedanta Cairn Oil & Gas (2017-01 – 2022-12)
Managed brownfield projects focused on debottlenecking and capacity optimization
- Executed debottlenecking projects, increasing oil production by 200%, raising output to 8,000 barrels of oil per day
- Designed and implemented a 6" crude oil pipeline eliminating trucking operations, reducing safety risks, and saving ~₹1.20 Mn per annum in OPEX
- Commissioned 2 MW grid-connected gas engine plant utilizing surplus gas, reducing OPEX by ~₹0.7 Mn per annum while lowering the carbon footprint
- Revamped crude unloading operations, boosting throughput from 25 to 65 trucks/day, improving logistics efficiency
- Created dashboards, MIS reports, contributing to 25% reduction in TAT, emphasizing data-driven decision-making
Project Coordinator & Operation Planning at Vedanta Cairn Oil & Gas (2012-01 – 2017-12)
Coordinated strategy, operations planning and technical management for gas facilities and satellite fields
- Directed strategy and controls for USD 30 Mn gas facility, achieving ~20% cost savings via value analysis and design optimization
- Managed requirements and technical changes for 130 MMSCFD Gas pant and 4 satellite fields, ensuring stakeholder alignment
- Improved throughput on 625 km heated pipeline through trials and cross-discipline coordination with HSSE and quality embedded
- Implemented critical-path monitoring and escalation protocols, sustaining schedule performance and operational continuity
- Coordinated operations planning and resource allocation, balancing production targets with safety, quality, and cost
Education
MBA in International Marketing – IIFT Delhi (2021– 2023)
B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering – National Institute of Technology- Surat (2008–2012)

