ONGC began drilling its first deepwater exploratory well in the Mahanadi offshore basin over the weekend — marking the start of the Samudra Manthan government campaign.

“India’s next energy frontier is deep waters…The commencement of drilling marks the beginning of one of the country’s most challenging deepwater exploration campaigns,” Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri wrote while virtually spudding the well. 

The deepwater exploratory well is being drilled around 23 nautical miles from the Konark discovery off the Odisha coast. It is expected to build on the company’s recent Utkal and Konark discoveries that have strengthened the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Mahanadi Offshore Basin.

First of its kind project

The MN-DWN18-1-HD appraisal is the first of four planned deepwater wells that will systematically evaluate one of India’s most prospective offshore basins. A PIB press note added that the programme would employ world-class deepwater drilling technology to unlock new hydrocarbon resources and strengthen domestic production capability.

“The spudding is a major milestone in the Samudra Manthan Campaign which marks the beginning of an ambitious programme to explore India’s deep and ultra-deepwater energy resources; and aligns with PM Modi Ji’s call for harnessing India’s untapped offshore oil and gas potential,” Puri added.

Resources equivalent to 5,600 million metric tonnes of oil

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued the clarion call for harnessing the untapped offshore hydrocarbon potential of India during his Independence Day address last year. The Government subsequently opened nearly one million square kilometres of previously restricted offshore areas for exploration — paving the way for fresh acreage to be offered under upcoming rounds of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy.

The drilling campaign is part of an administrative push to accelerate exploration of offshore oil and gas reserves. The eastern and western offshore basins of India (extending to water depths of up to 3,000 metres) reportedly hold more than 5,600 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent of hydrocarbon resources.

Puri noted on Saturday that 172 exploration blocks covering nearly 3.8 lakh square kilometres have been awarded with committed investments exceeding $4.3 billion under OALP. Around 674 wells were drilled, five new discoveries were made, and seven discoveries were monetised in FY26 alone.