The government has extended the bidding deadline for deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil and gas exploration blocks under the 10th and 11th Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) rounds to December 10. The extension gives prospective investors additional time to evaluate offshore exploration opportunities and the benefits of the ₹84,084-crore Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme.
Government Extends OALP-X and OALP-XI Bidding Deadline
The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, announced the revised deadline, providing prospective investors additional time to assess offshore exploration opportunities. The latest extension marks the seventh postponement for OALP-X and the third for OALP-XI.
The extension comes amid efforts to attract investment into India’s technically challenging deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploration sector. Although the government has not officially specified the reason for the revised deadline, reports suggest that the move could be linked to the ₹84,084-crore Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme.
Approved by the Union Cabinet in July, the scheme provides government support of up to 50% of eligible deepwater exploration drilling costs, subject to a maximum of ₹675 crore per well. Its guidelines were released on October 22, offering investors greater clarity on the financial support framework.
OALP-X Offers 25 Exploration Blocks
Launched in 2025, OALP-X offers 25 exploration blocks covering approximately 1.83 lakh square kilometres across 13 sedimentary basins. These include six onshore, six shallow-water, one deepwater and 12 ultra-deepwater blocks.
Of the total acreage, 19 blocks are offshore, including 13 deepwater and ultra-deepwater blocks covering around 1.24 lakh square kilometres. Bidding for onshore and shallow-water blocks closed in June, while the deadline for the remaining offshore acreage has undergone several extensions.
OALP-XI Covers 21 Blocks Across 11 Basins
Launched in March 2026, OALP-XI comprises 21 blocks covering 80,234.49 square kilometres across 11 sedimentary basins. The offering includes 12 onshore, four shallow-water, one deepwater and four ultra-deepwater blocks.
Nine blocks are offshore, covering approximately 45,296 square kilometres. The deadline for deepwater and ultra-deepwater blocks has now been extended from November 15 to December 10.
The Samudra Manthan scheme, with an outlay of ₹84,084 crore through FY2030–31, aims to unlock more than 600 million tonnes of additional oil-equivalent hydrocarbon resources.
The extension of OALP-X and OALP-XI bidding deadlines provides additional time for investors to assess India’s offshore exploration opportunities. Combined with financial support under the Samudra Manthan scheme, the initiative aims to encourage deepwater exploration, expand domestic hydrocarbon resources and strengthen India’s energy security.
