ONGC bags maximum blocks under OALP-IX; Vedanta, Oil India big winners

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The Indian government on April 15 awarded blocks under the ninth bidding round of Open Acreage Licencing Policy (OALP). State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited was awarded 11 blocks, followed by Vedanta and Oil India Limited (OIL) which won seven and six blocks, respectively.

Under the OALP-IX round, the government had offered a total of 28 blocks, covering 1.37 lakh sq km area. Among the blocks offered, nine were onland blocks, eight were shallow water blocks and 11 were ultra-deep water blocks.

A consortium of ONGC and Oil India won three blocks while another consortium of ONGC, Reliance Industries Limited and bp won one block in the round.

"We are happy to confirm that we have signed a contract for a new exploration license under the consortium of ONGC (40%) RIL (30%) and bp (30%) for block GS-OSHP-2022/2 (Saurashtra Basin) in the OALP IX bidding round. This strategic collaboration brings together the expertise of India's largest national oil and gas company, ONGC, the largest Indian conglomerate, Reliance Industries, and global energy major bp. This consortium leverages the strength of all parties and is another step towards strengthening India's energy security goals," said a spokesperson from bp.

India is steadily building a resilient and future-ready energy ecosystem aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat through investor-friendly reforms, swift approvals, scientific exploration, and a strong emphasis on sustainability, said Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

“The Indian hydrocarbon sector is entering a new era of accelerated exploration and development,” said Puri.

With India currently reliant on imports for 88 percent of its crude oil and 50 percent of its natural gas needs, the urgency for domestic exploration and production has never been greater, added Puri. “In the next two decades, 25% of the world’s incremental energy demand growth will come from India," he said.

The minister said that OALP Round-X has already been launched at the India Energy Week 2025, offering 25 blocks across 13 sedimentary basins—covering the largest-ever acreage of 1.92 lakh square kilometers, with 51 percent falling in previously restricted zones.