What happened: spudding of appraisal well MN-DWN18-1-HD in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin
The Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, marked the commencement of drilling (spudding) of the first appraisal well, MN-DWN18-1-HD, in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin. The Ministry presents the appraisal well as part of a systematic offshore evaluation programme to assess hydrocarbon potential.
The Ministry stated that MN-DWN18-1-HD is the first of four planned deepwater wells. The drilling programme is described as using deepwater drilling technology to evaluate and unlock new hydrocarbon resources and strengthen India’s domestic production capability.
Background: offshore exploration ecosystem reforms referenced by the Ministry
The Ministry links the MN-DWN18-1-HD spudding milestone to reforms in exploration and production over the last decade. The release highlights measures aimed at changing offshore acreage licensing, revenue sharing, and exploration access, along with investments in geoscientific data generation.
The reform elements highlighted in the release include: Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) as a landmark policy for exploration and production ecosystem changes.Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) as a shift away from nomination-based approach to open acreage licensing.Transparent revenue sharing framework as a structured method to share revenues under the hydrocarbon licensing/regulatory model.Opening nearly 99% of erstwhile offshore “No-Go” areas as expanding the offshore area available for exploration.