In a significant effort to tap into India's offshore hydrocarbon potential and decrease reliance on imported crude oil and natural gas, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has initiated drilling its first deepwater exploratory well in the Mahanadi offshore basin near the Odisha coastline.

The exploratory well, designated MN-DW18-1-H-D, is situated approximately 23 nautical miles from ONGC's Konark discovery, signaling the launch of one of the nation's most ambitious and technically difficult deepwater exploration endeavors. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched the deepwater exploratory well from New Delhi on Saturday.

The drilling gains importance as India ramps up initiatives to exploit extensive unexploited deepwater and ultra-deepwater offshore reserves under the ambitious Samudra Manthan Campaign, after the Centre's choice to open nearly one million square kilometres of previously restricted offshore zones for oil and gas exploration through the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP).

ONGC states that India's offshore basins in the east and west, reaching depths of up to 3,000 meters, are believed to contain over 5,600 million tonnes of oil equivalent (MTOE) in hydrocarbon resources, positioning deepwater exploration as the next significant energy frontier for the country.

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The Mahanadi offshore basin has become one of the nation's most promising exploration areas after ONGC's recent discoveries at Utkal and Konark, which have greatly improved the basin's hydrocarbon potential. The company stated that the recent drilling initiative may enhance comprehension of the basin's geological possibilities and set the stage for future commercial output.

"Each assessed prospect, drilled well, and made discovery will aid in boosting local production, decreasing reliance on imports, and reinforcing India's energy independence and self-sufficiency," ONGC stated.

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The company set up its main Deepwater Exploration Mission Centre (DeepX) in Mumbai earlier this year to assist with these technology-intensive exploration initiatives.

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Inaugurated on January 5, DeepX functions as the organization's dedicated center for deepwater exploration by combining advanced geoscientific interpretation, specific technical skills, data analytics, training, and worldwide partnerships under the "One Company, One Data" principle.