Since then licenses for exploration are being awarded only through a competitive bidding system and National Oil Companies (NOCs) are required to compete on an equal footing with Indian and foreign companies to secure Petroleum Exploration Licences(PELs).
Six rounds of bids have so far been concluded under NELP, in which production sharing contracts for 162 exploration blocks have been signed.
Under NELP, 56 oil and gas discoveries in 17 blocks have already been made in Cambay onland, North East Coast and Krishna-Godavari deepwater areas, for which, development plans by the operators are in progress.
With exploration and development efforts made under NELP, Natural Gas production in the country is likely to be doubled by end of 11th Five Year Plan from the present level of gas production of about 90 million standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD).
Under seventh round of NELP which was launched on 13th December 2007, Government is offering 57 exploration blocks. The offered blocks include – 19 deepwater blocks, 9 shallow water blocks and 29 onland blocks.
Exploration blocks in onland areas are located in the states of Assam (1), Bihar(3), Chattisgarh(1), Gujarat(11), Madhya Pradesh (2), Rajasthan (3), Tamil Nadu(2) and West Bengal(6).
Out of 19 deepwater blocks, 15 exploration blocks are in western offshore areas and 3 exploration blocks are in eastern offshore areas. One deepwater exploration block is in AndamanNicobar basin.
Amongst shallow water blocks, 6 blocks are in Mumbai basin in western offshore, while 3 blocks are in KG basin in eastern offshore.
Press Information Bureau Government of India
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