India has extended the bid submission deadline for its largest-ever oil and gas acreage offering under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP). The move gives companies until 31 October to submit applications for the OALP-X licensing round, three months beyond the original July deadline.

Launched in February during India Energy Week 2025 in New Delhi, OALP-X consolidates blocks from the previous XVI and XVII licensing cycles into a single round, offering 25 exploration blocks covering nearly 192,000 square kilometres. The blocks include six onshore, six shallow-water, one deepwater, and 12 ultra-deepwater tracts across 13 sedimentary basins.

Notably, four blocks in the Andaman basin span over 47,000 square kilometres. India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, highlighted the basin’s potential, suggesting it could hold even more reserves than Guyana, a region already recognized for its significant oil and gas discoveries.

India’s HELP framework provides incentives such as reduced royalty rates, concessional royalties for early production, no oil CESS, full exploration rights for the contract duration, and freedom in pricing and marketing, making it an attractive opportunity for both domestic and international energy companies.

The OALP-X round represents a strategic step in India’s ongoing efforts to boost exploration and increase domestic hydrocarbon production, offering investors access to some of the country’s most promising oil and gas prospects.