# Year-wise roadmap for Samudra Manthan oil exploration 2026-08-25T21:16:59+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The Oil Ministry is finalising a year-wise roadmap for drilling, seismic surveys and rig deployment under the Rs 84,084 crore Samudra Manthan scheme. Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has reviewed progress from recent brainstorming sessions, with ONGC and Oil India to lead execution. The programme targets exploration across the KG, Mahanadi, Andaman and Cauvery basins. The scheme allocates Rs 43,200 crore for 60 exploratory deepwater wells over five years, and Rs 28,534 crore for 2D and 3D seismic data acquisition. It aims to add over 600 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent to national reserves and boost domestic production. India currently imports 88 per cent of its annual crude requirement of 256 million tonnes against domestic output of 28 million tonnes. ## Indian Opinion Analysis BusinessLine provides more operational detail, citing a brokerage analysis that frames the scheme as commercially viable for ONGC at $75 per barrel and flags the still-undisclosed government support quantum. The Times of India leads with the headline number (Rs 84,084 crore) and includes a breakdown of fund allocation across drilling, seismic data, and infrastructure, adding import-dependence context. Both are neutral-report and factually congruent. The key figure to watch is the finalised year-wise roadmap and the cost per deepwater well, which BusinessLine reports as Rs 1,000 crore and the Times omits. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - thehindubusinessline.com (neutral report) leads with brokerage assessment of ONGC viability and undisclosed funding timelines - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) leads with fund breakdown and import-dependence context This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-27T07:28:42+00:00. Tags: Harddeep Singh Puri, Oil India, Oil Ministry, ONGC, Samudra Manthan Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-drafts-year-wise-drilling-roadmap-for-8-8-bn-samudra-manthan/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-drafts-year-wise-drilling-roadmap-for-8-8-bn-samudra-manthan/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/