Spudding of first appraisal well MN-DWN18-1-HD in Mahanadi Offshore Basin begins
Oil and Gas drilling began for the first Mahanadi Offshore Basin appraisal well MN-DWN18-1-HD under ONGC/Oil India-led offshore exploration plans.
- An appraisal well is drilled after discovery to confirm hydrocarbon size and check recoverability.
- Deepwater drilling is offshore drilling in deep seabeds, using specialised rigs and safety systems.
- MN-DWN18-1-HD is planned as part of a four-well deepwater evaluation programme for the basin.
- HELP is followed by the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP), replacing nomination-based licensing with an open acreage approach.
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.
UPSC can connect a specific offshore drilling milestone with India’s hydrocarbon licensing reforms and geoscientific capability-building, showing how licensing design (HELP, OALP, revenue sharing) and technical capability (deepwater drilling and seismic/data initiatives) together support domestic production and energy security aims.