Energy Security / ONGC Strikes Natural Gas 43 Km Off Odisha Coast In Mahanadi Basin

Bhubaneswar, Sep 22: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has struck natural gas in a deepwater exploratory well in the Mahanadi offshore basin, about 43 km off the Konark coast, marking a fresh step in India’s efforts to expand domestic hydrocarbon production.

The discovery was made on September 18 in the MN-DW18-1-H-D well, the maiden well of ONGC’s ongoing deepwater exploration campaign in the Mahanadi Basin under the government’s Samudra Manthan initiative.

Gas Encountered At 1,441-Metre Depth
The well was drilled to a target depth of 1,623 metres and encountered gas in the 1,441-1,452-metre interval.

According to ONGC, the well is currently flowing gas at encouraging rates with sustained reservoir pressure. However, further appraisal and commercial evaluation will be carried out before the company determines the size and commercial viability of the discovery.

The discovery’s proximity to the Odisha coast could support early monetisation, subject to the outcome of the appraisal and commercial evaluation.

Shared Facilities May Support Development
ONGC said the discovery would be explored further along with other finds in the area through shared facilities, a framework enabled by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025.

The company said the discovery, along with other finds in the area, could potentially be developed through shared facilities under the new regulatory framework.

Well Spudded In July
The MN-DW18-1-H-D well was spudded on July 25 by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

ONGC chairman and CEO Arun Kumar Singh, director (technology & field services) Vikram Saxena and director (exploration) OP Sinha visited the drillship Platinum Explorer on August 27 and interacted with the drilling team.

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Deepwater Exploration Underway Since 2006
The discovery comes nearly two decades after ONGC began deepwater exploration in the Mahanadi Basin under the MN-DWN-98/3 block in 2006.

Subsequent deepwater drilling by ONGC has estimated multi-trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas reserves in the basin, along with the Utkal and Konark offshore discoveries.

ONGC said it would continue exploring deep and ultra-deepwater frontiers in its search for hydrocarbons and in support of India’s goal of energy security.