Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has announced two major oil and gas discoveries—‘Suryamani’ and ‘Vajramani’, in the Mumbai Offshore hydrocarbon basin, marking a significant step in strengthening India’s domestic energy production.

These discoveries were made in blocks awarded under the Government of India’s Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP), with ‘Suryamani’ located in the OALP-6 block MB-OSHP-2020/2 and ‘Vajramani’ in the OALP-3 block MB-OSHP-2018/1.

Revealed alongside ONGC’s January–March quarterly financial results, the company emphasised that the finds are expected to enhance its upstream production capabilities. “These new discoveries underline our strategic focus on enhancing domestic output and reducing import dependence,” ONGC stated.

The development comes amid ONGC’s broader strategy to expand its exploration footprint to nearly 5,00,000 sq.km, signaling the push to unlock more domestic hydrocarbon resources. India, heavily dependent on energy imports, aims to bolster its upstream sector through the OALP regime, promoting wider exploration and reducing foreign reliance. 

ONGC plans to expedite appraisal and development of the new reserves to bring them into early production, aligning with national energy security objectives and self-reliance goals.