ONGC Strikes Gas in Deepwater Well Off Odisha’s Konark Coast

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has reported a natural gas discovery in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, located about 43 km off the Konark coast of Odisha.
The find was made through the MN-DW18-1-H-D exploratory well, drilled as part of ONGC’s Samudra Manthan deepwater exploration programme. The well was drilled to a depth of 1,623 metres and encountered a gas-bearing section between 1,441 and 1,452 metres.

ONGC said the well produced gas flow for three consecutive days, with initial observations indicating favourable reservoir pressure and flow behaviour. The company will now conduct detailed appraisal work to determine the recoverable reserves and assess the economic feasibility of the discovery.
Any decision to develop the field will be taken after the commercial potential is established. Given its relatively close location to the Odisha coastline, the discovery could offer logistical advantages for future development if found commercially viable.

ONGC is also evaluating whether the discovery can be developed using common infrastructure along with other nearby hydrocarbon finds, in accordance with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025.
The latest find adds to ONGC’s ongoing efforts to expand deepwater exploration and strengthen India’s domestic oil and gas production capacity.