Navigating depths: ONGC's deepwater exploration challenges & innovations

The differences are stark when you compare the Arabian Sea with the Bay of Bengal

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

In an exclusive interview with Millennium Post, Ratnesh Kumar, Asset Manager, Eastern Offshore (Kakinada Asset), ONGC, sheds light on the key challenges of deepwater exploration, the role of technology, and the company's vision for sustainable energy security.

DEEPWATER EXPLORATION: THE KEY CHALLENGES

Q: ONGC has been operating in deepwater exploration for years. What are the primary challenges in this domain, and how is the company leveraging technology to overcome them?

If you look at Mumbai High, we have been operating there for over 50 years and are well-versed in its geology and operational challenges. However, the differences are stark when you compare the Arabian Sea with the Bay of Bengal. In the Arabian Sea, even up to 100 kilometers offshore, the water depth is only around 100 meters. But in the Eastern Offshore, the seabed drops drastically. For instance, our Central Processing Platform is located just 5-6 nautical miles from the shore at a depth of 27-30 meters. Meanwhile, our Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) unit, only 7 nautical miles away, is positioned in waters over 413 meters deep. This steep slope presents significant challenges in laying subsea pipelines and

Given the complexities, we have integrated advanced subsea architecture and pipeline technologies. The FPSO—a converted large crude carrier—acts as a mini refinery at sea, permanently stationed to handle production. However, Eastern Offshore operations are highly vulnerable to cyclones, experiencing four to five cyclonic conditions during a project's lifespan. This drastically limits our working window to just four months a year, compared to eight months in the western offshore. To mitigate this, we pushed the boundaries by working in July and August, despite adverse weather conditions.