State-owned ONGC discovers natural gas at a deepwater well in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin off the Odisha coast under the Samudra Manthan mission
OdishaPlus Bureau
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) has struck gas at a deepwater well in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, around 43 km off the Odisha coast, in a development that could boost exploration activity in the state’s offshore region.
The discovery was made at well MN-DW18-1-H-D, the first well drilled in the Mahanadi Basin under the Centre’s Samudra Manthan national offshore exploration mission.
ONGC said the well has been flowing gas at encouraging flow rates and reservoir pressure for the past three days. The discovery, it said, strengthens the company’s deepwater exploration programme and India’s efforts to expand its indigenous hydrocarbon resource base.
The well was drilled to a target depth of 1,623 metres, with the gas strike recorded on September 18 in the 1,441–1,452 metre interval.
The well was spudded on July 25 by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, marking the beginning of a new phase of exploration in one of India’s prospective offshore hydrocarbon regions.
Its location relatively close to the Odisha coast could offer potential for early monetisation, subject to further appraisal, assessment of reserves and commercial evaluation.
The well is the first of four planned deepwater appraisal wells in the Mahanadi Basin. The wells are being drilled using deepwater technology to assess the extent and commercial viability of hydrocarbon resources.
The latest discovery builds on the Utkal and Konark discoveries made in 2024, which had strengthened the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Mahanadi Offshore Basin.
India currently imports a large share of its crude oil and natural gas requirements, making increased domestic production an important component of its energy security strategy. Greater indigenous production could also help reduce the country’s exposure to international supply disruptions and price volatility.
The government has set a target of increasing the share of natural gas in India’s energy mix to 15% by 2030. Higher domestic production is expected to contribute to this objective.
The Union Cabinet approved the Rs 84,084-crore Samudra Manthan, or National Offshore Exploration Scheme, on July 31. The programme seeks to accelerate exploration in deepwater and ultra-deepwater areas through large-scale 2D and 3D seismic surveys, exploratory drilling and common offshore infrastructure.
The scheme is also aimed at strengthening the exploration-to-production chain, unlocking new reserves, accelerating the development of discoveries, and building indigenous capabilities in deepwater exploration.
For Odisha, the ONGC discovery adds another dimension to the state’s emerging maritime and offshore economy, with the potential for future investment and supporting infrastructure if subsequent appraisal establishes commercially viable reserves.