Has ONGC Found More Oil & Gas in Mumbai Offshore Basin?

Synopsis
ONGC's recent oil and gas discoveries in Mumbai's offshore basin could significantly boost India's production capacity. With new prospects named 'Suryamani' and 'Vajramani', these findings are a beacon of hope amidst rising import needs. Explore the details of these promising discoveries and their impact on India's energy landscape.
Key Takeaways
- ONGC's new discoveries in Mumbai Offshore could boost oil production.
- 'Suryamani' and 'Vajramani' are the names of the new prospects.
- Testing revealed significant oil and gas yields from exploratory wells.
- These findings may reduce India's 85% reliance on oil imports.
- ONGC's commitment to exploration supports national energy security.
New Delhi, May 25 (NationPress) - The state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has announced significant new discoveries of oil and gas in the Mumbai Offshore hydrocarbon basin, which are poised to boost the production capabilities of this upstream oil giant in the foreseeable future.
The newly discovered sites, referred to as 'Suryamani' and 'Vajramani', were uncovered in blocks granted under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP), as stated in a press release accompanying ONGC's quarterly financial results for January to March.
The exploratory well MBS202HAA-1 on Block MB-OSHP-2020/2 produced an impressive 2,235 barrels of oil per day and 45,181 million cubic metres of gas daily during tests carried out in the January-March quarter.
According to ONGC, “This marks the first discovery in Basal Clastics of OALP Block MB-OSHP-2020/2. The success of well MBS202HAA-1 has been recognized as a New Prospect Discovery and has been renamed 'Suryamani'.”
During the current quarter, a further zone was tested on the same well, resulting in a flow of 413 barrels of oil per day and 15,132 cubic metres of gas.
“This hydrocarbon achievement in the Mukta Formation is unprecedented in OALP Block MB-OSHP-2020/2 and is recognized as a New Pool Discovery associated with the Suryamani prospect. Additionally, exploratory well MBS181HNA-1 in OALP-III Block MB-OSHP-2018/1 in Mumbai yielded 2,122 barrels of oil daily and 83,120 cubic metres of gas during testing.”
“This discovery represents an independent fault-bounded nosal feature located in the western region of block MB-OSHP-2018/1. The success of well MBS181HNA-1 has been designated as a New Prospect Discovery known as 'Vajramani',” ONGC’s statement detailed.
In addition to the discoveries in the Mumbai offshore area, ONGC also reported another hydrocarbon discovery in the KG Basin land block during the January-March quarter.
The exploratory well Yandapalli-1, drilled to a depth of 3,958 metres in the Malleswaram PML within the onshore sector of the KG Basin, found promising oil and gas reserves, according to ONGC.
“This hydrocarbon success of well Yandapalli-1 has been recognized as a New Prospect Discovery,” the statement added.
These discoveries offer optimism at a time when India’s oil and gas imports have been consistently rising due to ONGC’s aging oil and gas fields. Presently, around 85 percent of the country’s oil needs are fulfilled through imports.