ONGC to Continue Drilling After Gas Discovery in Mahanadi Basin

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will continue drilling more wells following its gas discovery in the Mahanadi basin under the Samudra Manthan initiative, said Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, adding that India would maintain ethanol blending at 20 per cent while working to reduce green hydrogen costs.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 13th Annual Forum 2026: India 3.0 – Engaging for Growth in a Disrupted World, Puri said the government was pursuing multiple avenues to reduce India's dependence on imported fossil fuels, including domestic oil and gas exploration, biofuels and green hydrogen.

Referring to ONGC's gas discovery and plans for further exploration, the minister said, "This is the beginning, this is the beginning. We are going to be digging more and more wells." He said offshore exploration was a costly process and that drilling would continue in areas considered commercially viable.

The minister also referred to the government's wider offshore exploration programme, saying the Samudra Manthan initiative would enable the drilling of 150 wells over three years.