Lok Sabha Question No. 202 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-17
Subject: Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: B. SREERAMULU, KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.202 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 th  JULY, 2017

## HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION LICENSING POLICY

## 202. SHRI B. SRIRAMULU: SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:

## पेट्रोलियम और प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्री

## Will the Minister of PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  launched  National  Data  Repository  (NDR)  and  Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) process under Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP) and if so, the details thereof along with the salient features of the said policy;
- (b)    whether  OALP  permits  investors  to  select  blocks  of  their  choice  and  submit  an Expression  of Interest provisions like single/uniform licence to explore all forms  of hydrocarbons and no cess on domestic crude oil production and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)      whether  the  Government  has  launched  'Swasth  Saarthi  Abhiyaan'  for  providing healthcare facilities to commercial drivers in Delhi NCR region and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)    the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  for  reducing  dependence  on  imports  and making petroleum and natural gas industry self-reliant?

## ANSWER

पेट्रोलियम और प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्रािय में राज्य मंत्री ( प्राार रन्त्िवत्र ( ) प्रााप्र ामेवध ीी ) MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS

## (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a)  &  (b):  Government  has  launched  National  Data  Repository  (NDR)  and  Open  Acreage Licensing  Policy  (OALP)  under  Hydrocarbon  Exploration  Licensing  Policy  (HELP)  on  28 th June, 2017. Open Acreage Licensing Policy, permits the investor to select blocks of their choice  from  the  Open  Acreage  identified  for  carrying  out  exploration  and  production activities. On the basis of blocks selected, the bidding is carried out and blocks are awarded based on competitive, open and transparent bidding.

The salient features of new Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP) are as under:

-  Single license for conventional and non-conventional hydrocarbons
-  Revenue Sharing Contract
-  Graded royalty rates for offshore area
-  Contractor  will  be  free  to  sell  the  crude  oil  exclusively  in  domestic  market  through transparent bidding process on arms length basis.
-  Contractor will have freedom for pricing and marketing of gas produced from these blocks on arms length basis.
-  There is no levy of Cess on crude oil.

(c): 'Swasth Saarthi Abhiyan' is a two month Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of  Indraprastha  Gas  Limited (IGL) focusing  on  providing  preventive  healthcare  services to public transport drivers of the Delhi NCR region, with almost all of them being users of CNG. The  campaign  was  launched  on  28 th June  2017  by  organizing  a  mega  Health  Camp  to provide basic preventive health care needs like Height-weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) and Blood  pressure  measurement,  Vision  &  Eye  checkup,  Blood  group  testing,  Counseling, Health Education & First Aid tips.

(d):    In  order  to  reducing  dependence  on  imports  and  making  petroleum  and  natural  gas industry  self-reliant  the  Government  has  taken  various  policy  &  administrative  decisions. Some  of  the  policy  decisions  taken  by  the  Government  in  recent  years  to  enhance Exploration and Production (E&P) activities can be brought out as:

- i. Policy  to  grant  relaxation,  extension  &  classifications  at  development  &  production stage for early monetization of hydrocarbon discoveries.
- ii. Discovered Small Field Policy.
- iii. Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing policy (HELP).
- iv. Policy for Grant of Extension to small & medium sized discovered fields
- v. Policy for marketing freedom for gas produced from Deepwater & Ultra Deepwater areas.

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