The Central government has extended the last date of bidding for the 11 oil and gas blocks on offer in the fifth exploration bid round to 30 June 2020 in view of the COVID-19 lockdown in the country.
The fifth bid round under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) opened in January 2020 and was to initially close on 18 March 2020. However, the bid date was first extended to 16 April 2020 and then to 10 June 2020.
So far, the government has awarded 94 blocks in four OALP bid rounds in the last two-and-a-half years. These 94 blocks cover an exploratory area of about 1,36,800sq km over 16 Indian sedimentary basins.
In the latest bid round, about 19,800 sq km of area is on offer for bidding.
The fifth cycle of submitting expression of interest (EoIs) closed on 30 November 30 2019. This was followed by the sixth cycle that began on 1 December 2019, and was to last till 31 March 2020. It was to be followed by the seventh cycle from 1 April 2020 until 31 July 2020.
The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) has merged the sixth and seventh cycle of EoIs.
The EoI cycle for Round VI (ended 31 March 2020) and Round VII (ending 31 July 2020) stand merged.
