State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Monday announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Shell Energy India Pvt Ltd to explore collaboration opportunities across India’s energy sector.

 

ONGC, in a post on social media platform X, said its collaboration with Shell will focus on two key areas: upstream oil and gas, and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

 

Under the upstream oil and gas collaboration, the two companies will explore “joint participation in Deepwater and Ultra-Deepwater offshore blocks offered under Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) Rounds X and XI, as well as future bid rounds, under the broader impetus of  Samudra Manthan”. 

 
 


“The two companies will also explore farm-in/farm-out opportunities in ONGC’s existing OALP blocks. The MoU sets out a non-binding framework for such collaboration,” ONGC said. 

 


This collaboration comes as the government has stepped up efforts to expand domestic deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil and gas exploration. The Samudra Manthan programme, officially known as the National Offshore Exploration Scheme, is a central sector scheme approved by the Union Cabinet on July 31. It aims to encourage exploration in India’s offshore areas, with the government seeking greater participation in deepwater and ultra-deepwater blocks.

 


ONGC and Shell will also explore opportunities in LNG sourcing to support India’s transition towards a stronger gas-based economy.

 


“By bringing together complementary capabilities and global expertise, the collaboration seeks to create new synergies across the energy value chain, supporting deeper exploration, greater energy availability and India’s long-term energy security,” ONGC said.