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Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will continue drilling more wells following its gas discovery in the Mahanadi basin under the Samudra Manthan initiative, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday, adding that India would maintain ethanol blending at 20 per cent while working to reduce green hydrogen costs.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 13th Annual Forum 2026: India 3.0 Engaging for Growth in a Disrupted World, Puri said the government was pursuing multiple avenues to reduce India's dependence on imported fossil fuels, including domestic oil and gas exploration, biofuels and green hydrogen. Referring to ONGC's gas discovery and plans for further exploration, the minister said, "This is the beginning, this is the beginning. We are going to be digging more and more wells." He said offshore exploration was a costly process and that drilling would continue in areas considered commercially viable. "We are going to be digging more and more wells. So whenever you get a area which is most viable in terms of because you know it's a it's a costly process. But I'm very hopeful, and it's looking very good," Puri said. The minister also referred to the government's wider offshore exploration programme, saying the Samudra Manthan initiative would enable the drilling of 150 wells over three years. The Union Cabinet had approved the Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme in July 2026, with an outlay of Rs 84,084 crore for implementation up to FY 2030-31. On biofuels, Puri said India would maintain ethanol blending in petrol at 20 per cent as part of its strategy to reduce dependence on imported crude oil. "So that will remain at 20%," he said, referring to the country's ethanol blending level. India achieved its 20 per cent ethanol blending target in 2025, five years ahead of the original 2030 deadline. The government had earlier clarified that no decision had been taken to increase nationwide ethanol blending beyond 20 per cent. Speaking about green hydrogen, Puri said reducing production costs would be important for expanding its use across different sectors of the economy. "Green hydrogen, as I mentioned, we have to bring the cost of green hydrogen down," he said. He highlighted the use of hydrogen in refineries and the railways' efforts to develop hydrogen-powered trains, adding that the fuel could find applications in other sectors as well. "So green hydrogen is the fuel of the future," Puri said. The minister emphasised that India needed to pursue domestic exploration, biofuels and green hydrogen simultaneously to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels. (ANI)
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