ONGC has struck gas at a deepwater well in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, off the Odisha coast, under the Samudra Manthan initiative, the State-run company said on Monday.
The exploration & production (E&P) major struck gas on September 18 at the deepwater well MN-DW18-1-H-D that was drilled to a target depth of 1,623 metres. It recorded the gas strike at 1,441-1,452 metre interval.
The well, located approximately 43 km off Konark, is the first well in the Mahanadi Basin under the campaign. Its relative proximity to the coast offers potential for early monetisation, subject to further appraisal, and commercial evaluation, ONGC said.
The well was spudded on July 25 by Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. A month later, ONGC Chairman Arun Kumar Singh, Director (Technology & Field Services) Vikram Saxena, and Director (Exploration) OP Sinha visited the drillship Platinum Explorer and interacted with the team engaged in the drilling campaign.
The well is flowing gas with encouraging flow and reservoir pressure for last three days. The discovery strengthens ONGC’s deepwater exploration programme and India’s efforts to expand its indigenous hydrocarbon resource base. This find, along with other discoveries in the area, can be a candidate for development through shared facilities enabled by the PNG Rules, 2025, bringing deepwater resources onstream, ONGC said.
The government’s push for deepwater exploration in the form of the ₹84,084 crore Samudra Manthan, or the National Offshore Exploration Scheme, represents the next major frontier for India’s upstream sector, particularly ONGC. During the Maharatna company’s post-result analyst call on August 5, ONGC Director (Finance) Anupam Agarwal said the company will play a central role in this national mission. “During the quarter (Q1 FY27), we achieved an important milestone by commencing drilling of our first deepwater exploratory well in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin under the Samudra Manthan Programme,” he had said then.
The government is yet to finalise the operational details under Samudra Manthan. The Oil Ministry is working on a year-wise execution road map for drilling, seismic surveys and rig deployment across the KG, Mahanadi, Andaman and Cauvery basins under the initiative, which is now being finalised.
“ONGC expects oil prices to settle at $75 per barrel in the long run. That will help it undertake exploration activities (including deep water exploration) which were not viable financially at $60-65,” Motilal Oswal Financial Services said in an August report.
Published on September 21, 2026
