New Delhi: India has entered its “next energy frontier” as ONGC commenced deepwater exploratory drilling in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, with Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri calling it the launch of a major campaign to tap untapped offshore oil and gas reserves.
Puri virtually spudded ONGC’s exploratory well MN-DW18-1-H-D on Saturday under the government’s Samudra Manthan mission. In a post on X, the minister said the project is a key milestone in India’s push to explore deep and ultra-deepwater resources.
“India’s next energy frontier is deep waters. Every prospect evaluated, well drilled and discovery made will help boost domestic production, cut import dependence and strengthen energy security,” Puri said, adding that the campaign aligns with PM Narendra Modi’s vision for self-reliance in energy.
According to the Petroleum Ministry, this is the first of four planned deepwater wells in the Mahanadi basin. ONGC will use advanced drilling technology to systematically assess the basin’s hydrocarbon potential. The ministry noted that India’s eastern and western offshore basins, with water depths up to 3,000 metres, are estimated to hold over 5,600 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent (MMTOE). Recent finds in the Cauvery, Mahanadi and Andaman basins have further boosted confidence in offshore exploration.
Officials said the new drive builds on a decade of policy reforms, including the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy, Open Acreage Licensing Programme, and the opening of nearly 99% of the earlier offshore “No-Go” areas for exploration.
The government expects the Samudra Manthan campaign to significantly raise domestic hydrocarbon output and reduce India’s reliance on imported oil and gas in the long run.
