ONGC has struck gas at MDW-28, the first well in its current deepwater drilling campaign in the Mahanadi Basin off India’s Odisha coast.
The well, also identified as MN-DW18-1-H-D, was perforated on 18 September 2026 following an evaluation of subsurface data. ONGC said gas was flowing from the well while reservoir pressure was maintained.
Drilling at MN-DW18-1-H-D began on 25 July 2026 under the Indian government’s Samudra Manthan initiative. The exploratory well is located in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin off Odisha.
The campaign is being carried out with the ultra-deepwater drillship Platinum Explorer. ONGC Chairman and CEO Arun Kumar Singh, Director (Technology & Field Services) Vikram Saxena and Director (Exploration) O. P. Sinha visited the drillship during the drilling programme.
In an earlier update, ONGC said the well was around 23 nautical miles from Konark. The company also said its Deepwater Exploration Mission Centre, DeepX, in Mumbai was supporting the deepwater exploration campaign.
ONGC said the MDW-28 discovery, together with other discoveries in the area, could be considered for development using shared facilities under the PNG Rules, 2025.
