On Tuesday, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, launched the 10th round of bidding for Oil and Gas under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) during the India Energy Summit 2025. This announcement marks a significant step in the government’s efforts to accelerate exploration and production activities in the energy sector.
OALP Bid Round-X: Largest Acreage Offered Under HELP Regime
This OALP Bid Round-X is the largest in terms of acreage offered in a single bid round under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) regime. A total of 25 blocks, covering approximately 1,91,986.21 square kilometers, are up for bidding. These blocks span 13 sedimentary basins, with 16 of them accounting for 97,919.6 square kilometers (51%) located within areas previously designated as ‘No-Go’ zones.
Diverse Blocks and Key Features of OALP Round X
Out of the 25 blocks, 6 are located on land, 6 in shallow water, 1 in deep water, and 12 in ultra-deep-water regions. The blocks are classified into three categories based on geological and resource potential: Category-I (9 blocks), Category-II (11 blocks), and Category-III (5 blocks).
The majority of the bidding focus in this round is on offshore blocks, with 19 offshore blocks covering 1,75,115 square kilometers. Notably, 13 of these offshore blocks are situated in deep water and ultra-deep-water areas, covering 1,33,724 square kilometers.
Enhanced E-Bidding Portal for Transparency and Investor Ease
To further streamline the process, a new e-bidding portal has been introduced for OALP Round X. This platform is designed to improve transparency, security, and ease of doing business for investors.
Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s Vision on Energy Transition and Growth
During the launch, Minister Puri emphasized India’s growing energy demands and the need for a smooth transition towards sustainable energy solutions. He stated, “India’s average energy consumption is just one-third of the global average, and our biofuel initiatives are showing great promise, with 19% biofuel mix at our dispensing stations.” He also highlighted the country’s long-term agreement with Qatar for natural gas, extending until 2048, and underscored the government’s focus on expanding refining capacity.
India’s Oil and Gas Exploration Strategy
The OALP was introduced under the HELP regime to provide investors with the flexibility to select blocks of their choice through the submission of an Expression of Interest (EoI). The first round of bidding under OALP was launched in January 2018, resulting in the award of 55 blocks.
Since 2016, the Indian government has implemented various policy reforms to boost oil and gas exploration and reduce the country’s dependency on imports. These efforts align with the government’s broader goal of increasing domestic production of oil and natural gas.
For detailed information and further insights, please refer to BioEnergyTimes.com, which provides the latest news about the Biomass Industry
