ONGC’s First Carbon Capture and Storage Pilot at Gandhar

ONGC is implementing its first full-scale Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) pilot at the Gandhar oilfield in Gujarat, marking a significant step in decarbonising India’s hydrocarbon sector.

Gandhar is among the country’s largest onshore brownfields — mature oilfields that have been producing for decades. The pilot aims to capture carbon dioxide and store it safely underground, reducing emissions while assessing the feasibility of scaling CCS across similar fields.

Key Highlights

• India’s first Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) pilot has been launched by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) at the Gandhar oilfield in Gujarat.
• The project aims to capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industrial sources and inject them underground into depleted oil and gas reservoirs for long-term storage.
• This initiative is part of India’s broader strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the country’s net-zero targets.
• The captured CO₂ may also be used for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), which can help increase oil production while storing carbon.
• The pilot project will help ONGC develop technical expertise and feasibility data for scaling up CCS projects across India in the future.
• CCS is considered important for hard-to-abate sectors such as oil, gas, cement, and heavy industry where emissions are difficult to eliminate.
• The project demonstrates India’s growing interest in carbon management technologies to balance energy needs with climate commitments.