New Delhi, Aug. 1 -- Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is set to accelerate deepwater exploration under the Samudra Manthan programme, with plans to drill 150 deepwater wells over seven years and pursue nearly 5,600 million tonnes of oil equivalent (MMTOE) of deepwater and ultra-deepwater hydrocarbon potential, as India steps up efforts to strengthen domestic energy security and reduce dependence on imports.

At the centre of ONGC's exploration drive is DeepX, a mission-mode team of more than 30 experts that will work with advanced technologies and global specialists, while using a "One Company, One Data" approach to bring together subsurface intelligence and accelerate exploration decisions. ONGC said the campaign is aimed at conver...