Source: TH
Context
ONGC commenced drilling its first deepwater exploratory well, MN-DW18-1-H-D, in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin on 25 July 2026. It was virtually spudded from New Delhi by Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. It marks the start of India’s deepwater programme under the Samudra Manthan Mission (National Deep Water Exploration Mission).
Part A — The Mahanadi River
What It Is
- “Mahanadi” means “Great River” in Sanskrit — one of the major peninsular river systems of east-central India.
- Renowned for its large silt-depositing capacity and extensive deltaic network along the Bay of Bengal.
- It is the largest river of Odisha.
Origin and Course
- Origin: rises in the Sihawa hill range, Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh.
- Flows northward draining the eastern Chhattisgarh plain.
- Turns eastward into Odisha.
- Pierces the Eastern Ghats through a forested gorge — the Satkosia Gorge, itself a Tiger Reserve.
- Empties into the Bay of Bengal at False Point, near Paradip.
- States covered: Chhattisgarh and Odisha; the basin extends into small portions of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
Tributaries
| Left Bank | Right Bank |
|---|---|
| Seonath (Shivnath) — longest tributary | Jonk |
| Hasdeo | Ong |
| Mand | Tel — largest right-bank tributary |
| Ib |
Part B — The Offshore Basin and Samudra Manthan
Why the Basin Is Hydrocarbon-Rich
- The river’s historical discharge deposited thick sedimentary layers offshore — the essential precondition for hydrocarbon formation.
- The Mahanadi Basin is one of India’s Category II/III sedimentary basins moving toward proven commercial production.
The Samudra Manthan Mission
- Follows PM Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address of 15 August 2025, calling for exploration of India’s untapped offshore reserves.
- The Government has opened nearly one million sq km of previously restricted offshore areas for exploration.
ONGC’s Institutional Response
- Launched the Deepwater Exploration Mission Centre (DeepX) in Mumbai on 5 January 2026.
- DeepX integrates geoscientific expertise, advanced interpretation, specialised training and global collaboration under a “One Company, One Data” philosophy.
- Builds on ONGC’s Utkal and Konark discoveries in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin.
- MN-DW18-1-H-D is the first of four planned deepwater wells in the basin.
