The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has reported a gas discovery at its deepwater MN-DW18-1-H-D well in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin off the coast of Odisha, India.
The find was made at a depth of 1,441–1,452m, with the well drilled to a total depth of 1,623m.
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The well, positioned around 43km from Konark, is the first to be drilled in the Mahanadi Basin as part of ONGC’s Samudra Manthan initiative.
According to the Indian Government-owned company, the relative proximity of the site to the coast could allow for early monetisation, pending further appraisal and commercial evaluation.
Drilling operations are being carried out using the Platinum Explorer, a sixth-generation ultra-deepwater drill-ship.
The vessel, built in 2010 by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and classified by Det Norske Veritas, sails under the Bahamian flag.
It has a hull length of 781ft, a breadth of 138ft and can accommodate up to 180 personnel.
The drill-ship is also equipped with a helideck compatible with Sikorsky S-61N and S-92 helicopters.
ONGC spudded the well in July 2026, inaugurated by India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri.
Last month, ONGC chairman and CEO Arun Kumar Singh, technology and field services director Vikram Saxena and exploration director O P Sinha visited the Platinum Explorer.
The company said that the well has been producing gas with steady flow and reservoir pressure.
ONGC stated that the result adds to its ongoing deepwater exploration work and contributes to efforts to increase India’s domestic hydrocarbon output.
The find, together with other nearby discoveries, may be considered for development using shared infrastructure under the provisions of the PNG Rules, 2025, subject to further evaluation, said ONGC.
In August, ONGC signed a two-year binding letter of award with Transocean to deploy the latter’s Dhirubhai Deepwater KG2 drill-ship in India.
