New Delhi, Sept. 22: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday welcomed ONGC’s discovery of natural gas in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin off Odisha, describing it as a significant development in India’s deepwater energy exploration efforts.
Puri said the discovery reflects the ongoing exploration of India’s deep and ultra-deepwater areas under the Samudra Manthan initiative.
Discovery 43 Km Off Konark
The gas find was made on September 18 at a deepwater well located around 43 km off the Odisha coast near Konark. It is the first well drilled by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in the Mahanadi Basin under the Samudra Manthan campaign.
The well was spudded on July 25 using the drillship Platinum Explorer and drilled to a target depth of 1,623 metres.
Following evaluation of subsurface data, the well was perforated on September 18 and began flowing gas at an encouraging rate while maintaining healthy reservoir pressure.
Commercial Viability Yet To Be Established
Puri said the discovery, along with other finds in the area, could create scope for cluster development using shared infrastructure under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025.
However, ONGC has clarified that the discovery has not yet been established as commercially viable. Further appraisal and commercial assessment will be required to determine the extent of the discovery, recoverable resources and its development prospects.
A major milestone for India’s offshore energy exploration!
ONGC continues to unlock new domestic energy sources by exploring India’s deep and ultra-deepwater frontiers as a part of the Samudra Manthan initiative launched under the visionary guidance of PM Sh @narendramodi Ji.… https://t.co/MLVL5wOKB0
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) September 21, 2026
In his post on X, Puri congratulated the ONGC team and said the discovery could provide a pathway for bringing deepwater resources into production more efficiently if the required commercial potential is established.
The offshore location near Odisha’s coast could assume greater significance for future development if subsequent appraisal confirms the commercial viability of the gas discovery.
