V P Mahawar is ONGC Director (Onshore)

Ved Prakash Mahawar on Saturday took over as Director (Onshore) of national hydrocarbon exploration and production company Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). “As Director (Onshore), a board level position, he will be directly looking after all the onshore operations spread across the country which significantly contribute towards Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s overall physical performance,” the company said in a statement here.

He replaces Ashok Verma, who superannuated on Friday. Prior to his elevation, Mahawar headed Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s Tripura fields as Executive Director-Asset Manager. “Under his leadership, the Tripura Asset saw increase in gas production by more than two folds. During his tenure Oil and Natural Gas Corporation commenced supplying gas for both units of ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC). 

He has also been instrumental in monetisation of two discovered fields, putting them on production,” the statement said. A Mechanical Engineering graduate from Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur, Mahawar started his career with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation as Drilling Engineer in 1982. 

He is known as the first sub-sea engineer of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation. He also pioneered the critical well control expertise for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

Separately, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation said Sudhir Sharma has taken over as the Director (Exploration) at its overseas arm, ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL).

He was most recently the country manager for ONGC Videsh Ltd’s Colombia operations for over a year. Earlier, as Head of Business Development in ONGC Videsh Ltd, he managed the global 

business development activity of the company with the objective of acquiring oil and  gas assets overseas.

He started his career in 1980 when he joined Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s prestigious Institute of Petroleum Exploration in Dehradun as a young Graduate Trainee after obtaining a Masters in Geology from Lucknow University.

He pursued higher studies leading to M.Tech in Petroleum Exploration from Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad during 1983-1984.