New Delhi: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) began drilling its first deepwater exploratory well, MN-DW18-1-H-D, in the Mahanadi offshore basin on July 25, the company said in a statement. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri spudded the well virtually from New Delhi.
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ONGC described the spudding as "a significant step towards unlocking India's deepwater hydrocarbon potential," and said it marked the start of a programme to explore the country's deep and ultra-deepwater resources under the government's Samudra Manthan campaign. The commencement of drilling was "the beginning of one of India's most challenging deepwater exploration campaigns," according to the statement.
The MN-DW18-1-H-D well is being drilled about 23 nautical miles from Konark, off the Odisha coast, the statement said. ONGC linked the location to its recent Utkal and Konark discoveries, which it said had strengthened the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Mahanadi offshore basin.
ONGC said the campaign is aimed at raising domestic production, reducing import dependence and strengthening India's energy security and self-reliance.
The statement tied the programme to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's August 15, 2025 Independence Day address, which called for harnessing the country's untapped offshore oil and gas potential. In line with this, ONGC said, the government has opened nearly one million square kilometres of previously restricted offshore areas, creating exploration opportunities through forthcoming Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) rounds.
India's eastern and western offshore basins, extending to water depths of up to 3,000 metres, are estimated to hold over 5,600 MMTOE of hydrocarbon potential, according to the statement. It cited recent exploration in the Cauvery, Mahanadi and Andaman basins as reinforcing the prospects of the offshore frontier.
ONGC said it launched its Deepwater Exploration Mission Centre, DeepX, in Mumbai on January 5. The centre integrates the company's geoscientific expertise, interpretation capabilities, training and global collaborations under a "One Company, One Data" philosophy, the statement said.
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The company said, "The next frontier is deep waters. India is ready to explore it."