ONGC Strikes Gas in Mahanadi Deepwater under Samudra Manthan

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has struck gas at deepwater well MN-DW18-1-H-D in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, off the Odisha coast, under the Samudra Manthan initiative. The well drilled to a target depth (TD) of 1,623 metres recorded the gas strike at 1,441–1,452 metre interval.

The well is located approximately 43 km off Konark and 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.

The well was spudded on 25 July 2026 by Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri.

On 27 August 2026, ONGC Chairman & CEO Arun Kumar Singh, Director (Technology & Field Services) , Vikram Saxena, and Director (Exploration), O P Sinha visited 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.