Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited Spuds First Deepwater Well in Maharani Basin
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has achieved a significant milestone in India’s energy exploration efforts with the commencement of drilling at its deepwater exploratory well MN-DW18-1-H-D in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin. The well was virtually spudded on July 25, 2026, by Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, marking the beginning of one of India’s most ambitious deepwater exploration campaigns.
The initiative forms part of the Central Government’s flagship “Sagar Manthan” campaign, which aims to unlock India’s vast deepwater and ultra-deepwater hydrocarbon resources and strengthen the country’s long-term energy security.
Key Highlights of the Deepwater Exploration Project
The newly launched exploratory well represents a major step in ONGC’s efforts to increase domestic oil and gas production from offshore reserves.
Project Highlights:
- Exploratory Well: MN-DW18-1-H-D
- Location: Approximately 23 nautical miles off the coast of Konark, Odisha, in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin
- Campaign: Sagar Manthan deepwater exploration initiative
- Objective: Explore and develop India’s untapped offshore hydrocarbon reserves
The well is being drilled in an area that builds on earlier hydrocarbon discoveries in the Mahanadi and Konark offshore blocks, reinforcing the basin’s exploration potential.
Unlocking India’s Deepwater Hydrocarbon Potential
India’s eastern and western offshore sedimentary basins are considered among the country’s most promising frontier exploration regions.
According to ONGC, these deepwater and ultra-deepwater basins—reaching water depths of up to 3,000 meters—are estimated to contain more than 5,600 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent (MMTOE) of hydrocarbon resources.
The government has also expanded exploration opportunities by opening nearly one million square kilometres of offshore acreage for oil and gas exploration, encouraging greater investment and resource development.
Advanced Exploration Through the Deepwater Exploration Mission Centre
The campaign is being supported by ONGC’s Deepwater Exploration Mission Centre (DEEP), established in Mumbai in January 2026 under the company’s “One Company, One Data” framework.
The mission centre integrates advanced geological data, seismic interpretation, digital technologies, and exploration expertise to improve the efficiency and success rate of offshore drilling operations.
Strategic Importance for India’s Energy Security
Deepwater exploration remains a key pillar of India’s strategy to reduce dependence on imported crude oil and natural gas.
Successful discoveries from the Mahanadi Offshore Basin could:
- Increase domestic crude oil and natural gas production.
- Reduce India’s reliance on energy imports.
- Strengthen long-term energy security.
- Support the country’s growing energy demand through indigenous resources.
- Enhance ONGC’s upstream production portfolio.