Government Pushes Oil and Gas Block Bidding Window to December 31

The government has once again extended the deadline for submitting bids under the 10th round of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP-X), as per PTI. According to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), the new deadline is December 31, 2025, giving companies two more months to participate in the auction.

Second Extension Since Launch

The OALP-X round was launched in February 2025 during the India Energy Week in New Delhi. The initial deadline was set for July 31, later moved to October 31, and has now been extended for a second time. The extension is intended to provide bidders additional time to study data and prepare their submissions.

Details of the OALP-X Round

This round is the largest acreage offering under the OALP framework so far. It includes 25 exploration and production blocks covering around 1,91,986 square kilometres across 13 sedimentary basins. Of these, there are six onshore blocks, six shallow-water, one deepwater, and twelve ultra-deepwater blocks.

Andaman Basin and Other Regions

Among the areas offered, four blocks covering about 47,058 square kilometres are located in the Andaman Basin. The basin has been identified as a key area with untapped potential for hydrocarbon exploration. Other offered blocks span multiple regions, including both offshore and onshore zones.

Other Deadlines Also Extended

Alongside the OALP-X round, the DGH has also extended the deadlines for the fourth round of Discovered Small Fields (DSF) and the special Coal-Bed Methane (CBM) round until December 31, 2025.

Background and Policy Context

The Open Acreage Licensing Policy, introduced in 2016, allows companies to identify and bid for areas of interest throughout the year. It operates under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), which simplifies terms and allows pricing freedom.

In OALP-IX (2024), the government offered 28 blocks covering 1.36 lakh sq km. ONGC won 14 blocks, Vedanta Ltd secured seven, and Oil India Ltd received six.

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Conclusion

The extended timeline gives interested companies more time to evaluate data and complete bids for exploration under India’s ongoing licensing programme.

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