Government Extends Oil and Gas Block Bidding Deadline to December 31, 2025

New Delhi, October 28, 2025 – The government has once again extended the bid submission deadline for the 10th round of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP-X), a move that will give prospective bidders extra time to participate in the government’s auction for the largest oil and gas blocks in India.

As stated by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), the latest deadline for submission is now December 31, 2025, which is the second extension since the launch of the round in February 2025, during the India Energy Week event in New Delhi. The first deadline was established as July 31, and it was subsequently extended to October 31.

25 Exploration Blocks Offered Across 13 Basins

OALP-X offers 25 blocks for exploratory and production purposes that represent approximately 1,91986 square kilometres. The auction entails six onshore blocks, six shallow-water tracts, one deepwater block, and twelve ultra-deepwater blocks across 13 sedimentary basins. More notably, of the four blocks included in the auction, which represent 47,058 sq km, are in the Andaman Basin, which Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has referred to as a potentially high-yield region that exceeds hotspot areas such as Guyana.

Extended Timelines for DSF and CBM Rounds

In addition to OALP-X, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) has also extended the due dates for the fourth round of Discovered Small Fields (DSF) and the special round for Coal-Bed Methane (CBM) until December 31, 2025.

Policy Push for Exploration Independence

With the rollout of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) in 2016, explorers are now able to identify areas of interest for exploration interests independently, moving away from the previous scenario in which the government would pre-identify areas to explore within blocks. Under the OALP, which is part of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) parameters, the fees have been reduced, a concessional royalty is now available for early production, no oil cess is obtained from the producer, and they are free to market or price the received resource.

Context from Previous Rounds

The previous round of OALP-IX, which occurred in 2024, offered 28 blocks encompassing 1.36 lakh sq km, drawing participation from ONGC, Oil India Ltd (OIL), Vedanta Ltd, and Reliance-BP consortium. ONGC emerged as the highest wiiner, securing a total of 11 blocks on its own and an additional three blocks jointly with OIL. Vedanta was next, with seven blocks secured and Oil India winning six blocks. Previously, in the first round of OALP, Vedanta captured 41 out of 55 offered blocks, and then an additional 10 blocks in later rounds.

Aimed at Reducing Import Dependence

By expanding exploration acreage, the government aims to boost domestic crude oil and natural gas production and reduce the nation’s USD 220 billion oil import bill. The OALP-X round is expected to attract both domestic and international interest, reinforcing India’s long-term energy security strategy.

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