Question : SURVEY FOR EXPLORATION

(a) the salient features and the details of implementation of the New Exploration Licensing Policy;

(b) whether any survey for the exploration of oil and gas conducted in the country both by public and private sector companies;

(c) if so, the number of bids invited for oil and gas/ hydrocarbon blocks and awarded for exploration by the Government to various public/private sector companies during each of the last three years and the current year, project/company/State-wise;

(d) the details of natural gas and oil blocks discovered and crude oil and gas founds in these blocks during the said period along with the estimated investment made/ required for the purpose, State and both public and private sector companies-wise; and

(e) the details of production of natural gas and petroleum products from such oil blocks both by public/private companies during the said period, oil bock-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) The New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) was introduced by the Government in 1997 and operationalized in 1999. The salient features of NELP are given in Notification No. O.19018/22/95- ONG.DO.VI dated 10.02.1999 which is at Annexure-I. So far, there have been nine rounds of NELP bidding under which a total of 360 exploration blocks were offered in onland and offshore areas out of which 254 exploration blocks were awarded to National Oil Companies, Private and Foreign Companies.

(b) Surveys for exploration of oil & gas in blocks/fields awarded under the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) regime are carried out by operators, Public Sector Under takings, Indian Private & Foreign companies and National Oil Companies (ONGC & OIL) in blocks/fields offered. In addition, in order to assess hydrocarbon prospectivity in the sedimentary basins, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons

(DGH) also carries out gravity magnetic, electro-magnetic, aero-magnetic, magneto-telluric, geochemical and seismic surveys in Indian sedimentary basins.

(c): During the last three years (2011-12 to 2013-14) and the current year (2014-15, till date), the ninth round of NELP bidding took place. 34 exploration blocks were offered for bidding and 74 bids were received for 33 blocks. A total of 19 blocks have been awarded and PSCs for the same signed in the years 2011-12 and 2012-13. The details of the awarded blocks are given in Annexure-II.

(d): Under the PSC regime, during the said period 45 hydrocarbon discoveries, comprising of 22 oil and 23 gas discoveries, have been made. Companies and State wise details are at Annexure-III. Out of the 45 discoveries, 5 oil and 3 gas discoveries envisage in-place oil volume of 147 MMTs and gas volume of 87 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM). The Contractors of above 8 discoveries (ONGC - 4 oil & 3 Gas discoveries and Cairn India Ltd. 1 Oil Discovery) have estimated Capital development expenditure of US$ 4164 Million & US$ 448 Million respectively to develop the discoveries . The other oil and gas discoveries made under the PSC regime during the last three years and the current year are under various stages of evaluation/ appraisal / development by the Operators and commercial production will commence on proving of commerciality of the discoveries.

(e): Does not arise in view of d above.