India’s government will accept bids through Apr. 3 on 55 blocks covering 59,282 sq km nominated by oil and gas operators.
The bid round, which opened Jan. 18, is India’s first under open-acreage licensing (OGJ Online, June 29, 2017).
The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons will base bid evaluation on work commitment and revenue share to the government.
The directorate received expressions of interest on 57 blocks and rejected one because of overlap. The other one was withdrawn.
Of the blocks open for bid, 46 are onshore, 8 are in shallow water, and 1 is in deep water.
The directorate expects to award blocks in June or July.
Under the new Hydrocarbons Exploration Licensing Policy, the directorate accepts expressions of interest in unlicensed acreage twice per year in preparation for bid rounds.