Government extends oil and gas block bid round for second time

The government has extended the deadline for submitting bids under the latest oil and gas block auction for the second time, giving potential investors more time to participate, according to DGH.

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bid submission deadline for the OALP-X licensing round, the largest acreage offering, has been extended by two months to December 31, 2025, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) said on its website.

The 10th round of Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP-X), which was launched in February during India Energy Week (IEW) 2025 in New Delhi, was originally scheduled to close at the end of July. In late July, the deadline was extended to October 31.

DGH said the bid submission now closes on December 31, 2025.

Alongside, the deadline for submission of bids under the fourth round of Discovered Small Field (DSF) bid round and the special coal-bed methane (CBM) round too were extended till December 31.

Under OALP-X, 25 blocks with a total area of about 191,986 square kilometres have been offered. The acreage on offer comprises six onshore blocks, six shallow-water tracts, one deepwater block and 12 located in ultra-deepwater across 13 sedimentary basins.