ONGC Launches Deepwater Exploration in Mahanadi Basin to Boost India’s Energy Security
New Delhi: India has taken a significant step towards strengthening its energy security with the launch of deepwater exploratory drilling in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, marking the beginning of a major offshore hydrocarbon exploration campaign.
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday virtually inaugurated ONGC’s exploratory well, MN-DW18-1-H-D, under the Centre’s ambitious Samudra Manthan initiative. The mission aims to unlock the vast oil and natural gas reserves believed to exist in India’s deep and ultra-deep offshore regions.
Describing the development as the country’s “next energy frontier,” Puri said expanding exploration in deep waters is crucial for increasing domestic oil and gas production, reducing dependence on imports and ensuring long-term energy security. He added that the initiative supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of achieving energy self-reliance.
According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the newly launched well is the first of four deepwater exploration wells planned in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin. ONGC will deploy advanced drilling technologies to assess the basin’s hydrocarbon reserves and determine its commercial potential.
The ministry noted that India’s eastern and western offshore basins, stretching into water depths of nearly 3,000 metres, are estimated to contain more than 5,600 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent (MMTOE). Recent hydrocarbon discoveries in the Cauvery, Mahanadi and Andaman basins have further strengthened prospects for offshore exploration.
Officials said the latest campaign is backed by a series of policy reforms introduced over the past decade, including the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP), and the government’s decision to open nearly 99 per cent of previously restricted offshore “No-Go” areas for exploration.
The government believes the Samudra Manthan mission will play a key role in boosting India’s domestic hydrocarbon production and gradually lowering its dependence on imported crude oil and natural gas.
