Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, inaugurated the spudding of the first appraisal well, MN‑DWN18‑1‑HD, in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin—marking what he called “the beginning of a new chapter in India’s journey towards energy security.”
The well is the first of four planned deepwater appraisal wells designed to evaluate one of India’s most promising offshore basins. Employing world‑class deepwater drilling technology, the programme aims to unlock new hydrocarbon reserves and strengthen domestic production capacity.
Shri Puri said the milestone reflects a decade of transformative reforms under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) and the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP). Nearly 81% of India’s active exploration acreage has been awarded since 2014, and 99% of previously restricted offshore areas have been opened for exploration.
He highlighted sustained investments in geoscientific data generation through Mission Anveshan, the National Seismic Programme, and the National Data Repository, creating one of the world’s most comprehensive exploration databases.
Under OALP, 172 exploration blocks covering 3.8 lakh sq km have been awarded with committed investments exceeding USD 4.3 billion. In FY 2025‑26 alone, 674 wells were drilled, five new discoveries made, and seven monetised.
“As we commence this first well today, we are not merely drilling into the seabed—we are drilling into India’s future energy security. Every metre drilled brings us closer to reducing import dependence, strengthening self‑reliance and realising the vision of Viksit Bharat,” Shri Puri said.
He congratulated ONGC, Oil India Limited, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, and technical partners for their role in advancing India’s offshore exploration efforts.
