Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India (ONGC) announced yesterday the new natural gas discovery in the depths of the Mahanadi Basin located on the eastern coast of the country. This discovery follows drilling operations that began on July 25, 2026.
Details of the Drilling and New Discovery
The drilling operation that led to the new gas discovery was inaugurated by Hardeep Singh Puri, the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India. This operation commenced with the drilling of exploratory well MDW-28 (MN-DW18-1-H-D) in the depths of the Mahanadi Basin. ONGC stated that this well is recognized as the first well in its deep drilling campaign in this basin and is currently flowing with promising gas rates and stable reservoir pressure.
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Development Tools and Future Goals
Well MDW-28 is part of ONGC's deep exploration campaign under the 'Samudra Manthan' initiative of the Indian government. After evaluating subsurface data, this well was drilled on September 18, 2026. During the operation, Arun Kumar Singh, CEO of ONGC, and other senior executives of the company visited the drilling vessel Platinum Explorer and interacted with its crew.
ONGC has indicated that this discovery, along with other findings in the region, could be a candidate for development through joint facilities. These facilities, under the PNG rules of 2025, will tap into deep water resources.
ONGC has also emphasized its commitment to continue exploring deep and ultra-deep frontiers to find hydrocarbons and achieve India's energy security goals. This new discovery adds to the previous successes in the region and aligns with the country's objectives to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen energy security.
In light of ONGC's ongoing efforts to enhance its energy resources, the company has recently signed a two-year binding Letter of Agreement (LOA) with Transocean for the drilling vessel Dhirubhai Deepwater KG2, which was built in 2010.
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