New Delhi: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with bp to collaborate on drilling stratigraphic wells in India’s Category II and III offshore sedimentary basins including Andaman, Mahanadi, Saurashtra, and Bengal.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on the sidelines of the second edition of Urja Varta 2025.
The collaboration aims to enhance geological understanding and unlock hydrocarbon potential in underexplored offshore basins.
“We are excited to underpin our existing alliance with ONGC in this project of national and strategic significance,” Kartikeya Dube, Head of Country, bp India and Senior Vice President, bp group said. “We believe drilling of new stratigraphic wells will be very valuable and can lead to a new understanding and potential. bp’s experience in deep water exploration supported by new seismic technologies would be of great assistance during the evaluation and subsequent drilling of stratigraphic wells.”
ONGC said on X, “The MoU was signed in the presence of Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, on the sidelines of Urja Varta 2025 reaffirming the Government’s commitment to deepen global collaboration in India’s energy journey. Global expertise meets national ambition, powering the path to Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
The offshore basins covered under the agreement fall in Category II and III, which are designated as having potential but remain relatively unexplored. The collaboration is expected to contribute to India’s long-term energy security by strengthening upstream data and enabling future exploration.
