This was reported by the company’s press office.
The well’s drilling location is approximately 23 nautical miles from Konark, off the coast of the state of Odisha. It is expected that geological exploration work and potential discoveries will support domestic production, reduce dependence on imports, and strengthen the country’s energy security. The MN-DW18-1-H-D well is part of the government’s Samudra Manthan program.
According to ONGC, recent discoveries of fields in the Utkal and Konark offshore areas have enhanced the prospects of the Mahanadi Basin in terms of hydrocarbon production. Exploration results in the Cauvery, Mahanadi, and Andaman basins have also confirmed the potential of the Indian shelf.
India imports about 89% of its oil consumption and more than 50% of its natural gas. An additional source of pressure is the steady downward trend in domestic production: the oil sector has been declining for more than 10 consecutive years, and the gas sector for the second year in a row.
In August 2025, Prime Minister N. Modi called for intensifying the development of the country’s untapped offshore oil and gas potential. Subsequently, the government opened access to nearly 1 million km² of previously off-limits offshore areas creating additional opportunities for geological exploration as part of future licensing rounds.
India’s eastern and western offshore basins extend to depths of up to 3,000 m and are estimated to contain more than 5.6 billion metric tons of oil-equivalent hydrocarbons.
In January 2026, ONGC opened the DeepX Deepwater Exploration Research Center in Mumbai. The center brings together the company’s geoscientific expertise, cutting-edge data interpretation tools, specialized training programs, and international collaboration under the “One Company, One Data” concept.
About Samudra Manthan National Deepwater Exploration Mission:
- is a flagship initiative for the exploration and development of oil and gas resources on the deepwater shelf;
- launched as part of India’s broader Deepwater Exploration Mission (approved in September 2021);
- aims to strengthen India’s energy security;
- the mission prioritizes sustainable development – striking a balance between energy production and marine conservation – and contributes to India’s goal of reducing fuel imports and carbon emissions by promoting the use of domestic resources and synergies with renewable energy sources (RES);
- mission components:
- development of technologies for deepwater production and manned submersibles,
- a national deepwater exploration mission focused on oil and gas production,
- a research-oriented deepwater exploration mission (2021–2026) continues separately under the Ministry of Energy and Science;
- priority areas:
- the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (central Indian Ocean),
- the Bay of Bengal (eastern part of the shelf),
- the Arabian Sea (western coast),
- international cooperation.
