Strategic Initiative Details:

ONGC has commenced drilling its first deepwater exploratory well in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, marking a significant milestone in India's deepwater hydrocarbon exploration efforts.

Well Specifications:

  • Well Name: MN-DW18-1-H-D
  • Location: Mahanadi Offshore Basin
  • Distance: Approximately 23 nautical miles from Konark discovery, off the Odisha coast
  • Water Depth: Part of basins extending to depths of up to 3,000 metres

Government Context and Campaign:

  • Initiative conducted under Government of India's Samudra Manthan Campaign
  • Virtually spudded by Hon'ble Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Hardeep Singh Puri from New Delhi on 25 July 2026
  • Follows Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's Independence Day address (15 August 2025) calling for harnessing India's untapped offshore oil and gas potential
  • Government has opened nearly one million square kilometres of previously restricted offshore areas
  • New exploration opportunities will be created through forthcoming OALP rounds

Basin Potential and Recent Successes:

  • Eastern and western offshore basins estimated to hold over 5,600 MMTOE of hydrocarbon potential
  • Recent exploration successes in Cauvery, Mahanadi and Andaman basins have reinforced offshore frontier promise
  • ONGC's recent Utkal and Konark discoveries have strengthened hydrocarbon prospectivity of Mahanadi Offshore Basin

Organizational Capability Development:

  • ONGC launched its flagship Deepwater Exploration Mission Centre, DeepX, in Mumbai on 5 January 2026
  • DeepX integrates ONGC's geoscientific expertise, advanced interpretation capabilities, specialized training and strategic global collaborations
  • Operates under "One Company, One Data" philosophy

Strategic Importance:

  • Marks beginning of India's most challenging deepwater exploration campaigns
  • Every prospect evaluated, well drilled and discovery made will contribute towards:
  • Enhancing domestic production
  • Reducing import dependence
  • Strengthening India's energy security and self-reliance

The campaign represents India's readiness to explore the deepwater frontier for hydrocarbon resources.