NEW DELHI: State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) is scouting for a Technical Service Provider (TSP) for its western offshore fields, excluding the Mumbai High field, to increase production, a senior company official said.
According to Pankaj Kumar, Director (Production), ONGC, speaking on the sidelines of India Energy Week 2026, the move follows positive outcomes after BP was selected as the TSP for the Mumbai High field in April.
“We are now in the market for another TSP covering the Western Offshore, excluding Mumbai high field. The tender has been floated, and we have personally communicated with the CEOs of 10 major E&P operators, including Shell, BP, Chevron, Exxon, and others,” Kumar said.
He also mentioned that the company is not looking for service contractors and wants only E&P operators. Kumar further added that the bid submission date is 16 March and ONGC is targeting closure around June, subject to data review and discussions.
ONGC’s production has been declining over the years due to depletion and ageing of fields. To arrest the decline, the company invited bids for a technology partner, following which BP was selected as the TSP for the Mumbai High field. The Mumbai High oilfield, located in the Mumbai offshore area, was discovered in 1974 and began production in 1976.
Kumar said that since BP mobilised in April, the production decline has been stabilised, with ONGC adding approximately 3,500–4,000 barrels of oil per day and 2–2.5 MMSCMD of gas over the minimum baseline.
“Importantly, current production is already above the agreed baseline profile,” Kumar said.
ONGC operates some of India’s most important oil and gas fields in western India, both offshore and onshore. Offshore, in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai, it operates the Mumbai Offshore fields, including Mumbai High, Bassein, Heera, Neelam, Panna–Mukta and Tapti, along with several satellite fields. Onshore, ONGC runs producing fields in Gujarat’s Cambay Basin such as Ankleshwar, Mehsana and Nawagam.
As per its second-quarter results for FY26, ONGC reported an increase in crude oil production. Standalone crude oil production (excluding condensate) during Q2FY26 and H1FY26 stood at 4.630 million tonnes and 9.314 MMT, respectively, registering a growth of 1.2% over the corresponding periods of FY25. Gas production decline was also arrested, narrowing to 0.04% in Q2FY26 from 0.35% in Q1FY26 year-on-year.
When asked about production targets, Kumar said the company has kept a production target of around 22 million tonnes for the current year.
“The target for next year is slightly higher. As of now, we expect production to be marginally higher than last year. The fields remain largely the same, there are no major new additions, and the challenges also remain similar,” Kumar said.
On the Andaman region, Kumar said it remains a key focus area for the government and ONGC. While basinal presence and hydrocarbon indications have been established, commercial viability is yet to be proven due to deepwater challenges. Further seismic analysis and drilling decisions will depend on ongoing evaluations, and no timelines or production volumes can be committed at this stage.