ONGC is diversifying its exploration into rare earth minerals and helium to enhance India’s energy security and meet decarbonisation targets. The company is in talks with GSI and has already detected traces of helium in some of its gas wells.
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is expanding its exploration horizon beyond hydrocarbons, venturing into rare earth minerals and helium prospects as part of its long-term strategy to strengthen India’s energy security and support decarbonisation goals, a senior official said. The company is aligning deeper domestic exploration with diversification into new resources critical for the energy transition, O P Sinha, Director (Exploration), ONGC Limited, told ANI on Thursday.
“The reality is that our energy consumption is rising exponentially, and domestic exploration must play a much bigger role in meeting this demand,” said Sinha in an exclusive interview with ANI. “We are exploring new areas, including rare earth minerals, and have initiated discussions with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to leverage their expertise. This will help India build resilience for the future,” he said on the sidelines of the Energy Security Conference 2025.
Aligning with National Missions
To ensure a secure, resilient, and self-reliant supply chain of critical minerals essential for the country’s economic development, national security, and transition to a clean energy future, the government of India has launched National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) this year.
Diversification into New-Age Resources
Sinha said ONGC has already detected traces of helium in some of its gas wells and is studying how to harness these valuable elements efficiently. “We are working on how to exploit or take advantage of the helium that we are finding in our existing oil and gas wells,” he explained.
These initiatives, he said, are part of ONGC’s broader vision to integrate traditional exploration with new-age resources vital for renewable technologies, electric mobility, and clean energy storage.
Strengthening Core Oil and Gas Exploration
While expanding into critical minerals, ONGC remains focused on strengthening its domestic oil and gas exploration footprint. Sinha noted that the company is intensifying activity in deeper and frontier areas to address India’s growing demand.
“We need to be more aggressive — not only in activity but also in adopting new technologies and forming collaborations. This will help us cut costs, compress timelines, and deliver faster results,” he said. He also acknowledged the government’s supportive policy environment that has enabled these advancements. “We are receiving very good policy support from the government, which is helping us progress in the right direction — particularly in exploration and decarbonisation efforts,” Sinha said.
Expanding Recovery Programs
In addition to new ventures, ONGC continues to expand its Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) programmes, which have successfully increased output from mature fields. “Our pilots in various reservoirs have given encouraging results. One of our programmes in Mehsana, started in the 1990s, delivered huge benefits in additional production. We are now expanding such initiatives to offshore fields as well,” he said.
Offshore Developments
On the offshore front, ONGC’s production from the Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin has already commenced, with discoveries in the Mahanadi Basin currently being appraised. “Rig availability is not an issue — we have sufficient workload and are in the process of securing additional resources to enhance our offshore drilling,” Sinha noted.
Balancing Security and Sustainability
By combining traditional exploration with diversification into rare earths and helium, ONGC aims to future-proof India’s energy sector. Sinha emphasised that these strategic initiatives demonstrate ONGC’s commitment to striking a balance between energy security and sustainability. “With technology, innovation, and collaboration, India can secure its energy future while supporting global low-carbon growth,” he concluded. (ANI)
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