NEW DELHI. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has struck gas in the deep waters of the Mahanadi Basin off the Odisha coast. The discovery was made through MDW-28, the maiden well of ONGC’s current deepwater campaign in the basin. The well, launched on July 25, 2026, under the Government’s Samudra Manthan initiative, was perforated on September 18 following evaluation of subsurface data and is currently flowing gas at encouraging rates with sustained reservoir pressure.
The discovery, along with other finds in the area, could potentially be developed through shared facilities enabled by the PNG Rules, 2025, helping bring deepwater resources into production. ONGC said it will continue exploration in deep and ultra-deepwater areas to expand India’s domestic hydrocarbon resources and support the country’s objective of strengthening energy security.
