Fri Feb 06 08:10:04 UTC 2026: ### Headline: India Extends Deadline for OALP-X Bid Round for Fourth Time
The Story:
The Indian government, through the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), has extended the deadline for bid submissions for the 10th round of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP-X) until May 29, 2026. This marks the fourth extension for this round, which was initially scheduled to close at the end of July 2025. While the DGH did not cite a specific reason, industry sources suggest the extension aims to allow potential investors more time to assess the newly liberalized rules following the passage of the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill. The deadlines for the fourth round of Discovered Small Field (DSF) and the special coal-bed methane (CBM) round remain unchanged at February 18, 2026.
Key Points:
* The deadline for OALP-X bid submissions has been extended to May 29, 2026.
* This is the fourth extension granted for the OALP-X bid round.
* OALP-X offers 25 blocks, totaling approximately 191,986 square kilometers, for oil and gas exploration and production.
* The extension is speculated to be related to giving investors time to understand new regulations following the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill.
* The round includes 4 blocks in the Andaman basin, which are touted as potentially having significant oil and gas reserves.
* Deadlines for DSF and CBM rounds remain unchanged.
* The OALP-IX round featured 28 blocks spread over 1.36 lakh sq km.
Key Takeaways:
- The repeated extensions suggest potential challenges in attracting sufficient investor interest in India’s oil and gas acreage, despite government efforts.
- The government seems committed to providing a favorable regulatory environment, as indicated by the speculation regarding the Oilfields Amendment Bill.
- The focus on the Andaman basin highlights India’s strategic interest in exploring potentially large, untapped hydrocarbon reserves.
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