Deepwater oil, gas bid deadline extended to Dec 10 under OALP-X, XI
Synopsis
India's deepwater oil and gas bidding rounds have hit another delay — the seventh for OALP-X and third for OALP-XI — with the deadline pushed to 10 December 2025. The extension reportedly ties to the ₹84,084-crore Samudra Manthan scheme, which offers up to 50% co-funding on deepwater drilling costs and whose guidelines were only published in late October, giving investors little time to price in the support before the original deadline.
Key Takeaways
The DGH has extended the bidding deadline for deepwater and ultra-deepwater blocks under OALP-X and OALP-XI to 10 December 2025 .
This is the seventh extension for OALP-X and the third for OALP-XI; both were previously due on 15 November 2025 .
The extension is reportedly linked to the ₹84,084-crore Samudra Manthan scheme, which covers up to 50% of eligible deepwater drilling costs (capped at ₹675 crore per well ).
OALP-X spans 25 blocks across 1.83 lakh sq km ; OALP-XI covers 21 blocks across 80,234.49 sq km .
The Samudra Manthan scheme targets more than 600 million tonnes of additional oil-equivalent hydrocarbon resources through FY31 .
The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has revised the bidding deadline for deepwater and ultra-deepwater blocks under the 10th (OALP-X) and 11th (OALP-XI) Open Acreage Licensing Policy rounds to 10 December 2025. This marks the seventh postponement for OALP-X and the third for OALP-XI, giving prospective investors nearly a month beyond the earlier 15 November deadline to evaluate technically challenging offshore acreage.
Why the Deadline Was Extended
The government did not formally state a reason for the latest extension. However, according to reports, the postponement may be tied to the recently unveiled Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme — a ₹84,084-crore initiative whose operating guidelines were published on 22 October 2025. The scheme offers government co-funding of up to 50 per cent of eligible deepwater drilling costs, subject to a ceiling of ₹675 crore per well. The extended timeline is intended to allow companies to fully assess this financial support framework before committing bids.
What OALP-X and OALP-XI Cover
OALP-X, launched in 2025, covers 25 blocks spanning approximately 1.83 lakh sq km across 13 sedimentary basins. The round comprises 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 about 1.24 lakh sq km. Bidding for onshore and shallow-water blocks under OALP-X closed in June 2025, and the deepwater deadline has now been extended multiple times since July 2025.
OALP-XI, launched in March 2025, offers 21 blocks covering 80,234.49 sq km across 11 sedimentary basins, comprising 12 onshore, four shallow-water, one deepwater, and four ultra-deepwater blocks. Its nine offshore blocks cover approximately 45,296 sq km. Bidding for onshore and shallow-water blocks also concluded in June, with the deepwater deadline now pushed to 10 December from 15 November.
The Samudra Manthan Scheme in Context
The Union Cabinet approved the Samudra Manthan scheme with a total outlay of ₹84,084 crore through FY31. The initiative aims to unlock more than 600 million tonnes of additional oil-equivalent hydrocarbon resources from India's offshore basins. Deepwater exploration in India has historically lagged due to high capital costs and technical complexity, making co-funding mechanisms central to attracting both domestic and international operators.
What This Means for India's Energy Ambitions
India is a net importer of crude oil, and successive governments have attempted to raise domestic production through liberalised licensing regimes. The repeated extensions for deepwater blocks in OALP-X — now at seven postponements — reflect the difficulty in generating investor interest at the required scale for technically demanding acreage, critics argue. The Samudra Manthan scheme is the most significant state-backed incentive for offshore exploration in recent years, and the December deadline will serve as an early indicator of its effectiveness in drawing bids.
Point of View
But its operating guidelines arrived barely six weeks before the original deadline, leaving companies insufficient time to run full economic models. If the December 10 deadline also fails to attract competitive bids, it will raise harder questions about acreage quality, fiscal terms, and whether India's upstream liberalisation architecture is fit for technically frontier exploration. The 600-million-tonne resource target is ambitious; the execution record so far is not reassuring.
NationPress
9 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has India extended the OALP-X and OALP-XI deepwater bidding deadline?
The government has extended the deadline to 10 December 2025, reportedly to give investors more time to evaluate the ₹84,084-crore Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme, whose operating guidelines were only published on 22 October 2025. The scheme provides co-funding of up to 50% of eligible deepwater drilling costs, subject to a cap of ₹675 crore per well.
How many times has the OALP-X deepwater bid deadline been extended?
The deadline for deepwater and ultra-deepwater blocks under OALP-X has been extended seven times since the round was launched in 2025. It was most recently moved from 15 November to 10 December 2025.
What blocks are on offer under OALP-X and OALP-XI?
OALP-X offers 25 blocks spanning 1.83 lakh sq km across 13 sedimentary basins, including 12 ultra-deepwater and 1 deepwater block. OALP-XI offers 21 blocks across 80,234.49 sq km in 11 sedimentary basins, including 4 ultra-deepwater and 1 deepwater block.
What is the Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme?
Samudra Manthan is a government scheme approved by the Union Cabinet with an outlay of ₹84,084 crore through FY31. It offers state co-funding of up to 50% of eligible deepwater exploration drilling costs, capped at ₹675 crore per well, and aims to unlock over 600 million tonnes of additional oil-equivalent hydrocarbon resources from India's offshore basins.
When did bidding close for onshore and shallow-water blocks in these rounds?
Bidding for onshore and shallow-water blocks under both OALP-X and OALP-XI closed in June 2025. Only the deepwater and ultra-deepwater acreage remains open, with the new deadline set for 10 December 2025.
