Lok Sabha Question No. 4520 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-19
Subject: Identification and Exploration of New Oil and Gas Fields
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Shri Parshottambhai Rupala

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4520 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 TH  MARCH, 2026

## IDENTIFICATION AND EXPLORATION OF NEW OIL AND GAS FIELDS

## 4520. SHRI PARSHOTTAMBHAI RUPALA:

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

- (a) the number of new oil and gas fields identified by the Government during the last three years along with their expected production capacity, field-wise;
- (b)  the  efforts  made  by  the  Government  to  explore  additional  new  fields  in  the  country, State/UT-wise including Gujarat;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to promote new research and technologies in the field of oil and natural gas exploration;
- (d) the fresh locations in Gujarat identified as potential sites for oil and gas fields along with the status of work progress, site-wise; and
- (e) whether the Government would consider to find such resources in the South Gujarat seabasin areas including Hazira and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## पेट Ō ोिलयम और Ůाक ृ ितक गैस मंũालय मŐ राǛ मंũी (ŵी सुरेश गोपी)

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI SURESH GOPI)

(a),  (b)  &  (d):Government  have  launched  Hydrocarbon  Exploration  and  Licensing  Policy (HELP)  in  2016.  Under  this  policy,  Open  Acreage  Licensing  Policy  (OALP)  was  started. During the last three years, total 38 exploration blocks under OALP bid Round VIII and IX covering  1,72,912.95  Square  Kilometer in  offshore areas and  states  of  Gujarat, Assam  and Meghalaya, have been awarded to successful bidders. Out of these 38 blocks, 09 blocks are situated in Gujarat. Geoscientific survey of the blocksawarded under these OALP Bid Rounds indicate  enhancement  in  country's  existing  resourcepotential.  Further,  OALP  bid  Round  X offering 25 exploration blocks covering 1,91,986.21sq. km in 6 states, including Gujarat, was launched on15.04.2025. Of these blocks, one block is situated in Gujarat. The State-wise list of blocks awarded during the last three years and identifiedfor bidding in OALP Bid Round X is attached as Annexure I.

Production capacity of the field is submitted by operator in Field Development Plan (FDP). As on date, as the blocks are under Exploration phase, FDP has not been submitted by the operators so expected production capacity of the fields cannot be ascertained.

(c):  Government have taken  various  steps to bring new research and technology which are enumerated as below:

- i. Appraisal  of  Un-appraised  areas  in  Sedimentary  Basins  under  National  Seismic Programme, 2017.
- ii. Policy Framework for exploration and exploitation of Unconventional Hydrocarbons underExisting  Production  Sharing  Contracts  (PSCs),  Coal  Bed  Methane  (CBM) ContractsandNomination Fields, 2018;
- iii. Government  is  also  spending  about  Rs.7500  Cr.  for  acquisition  of  seismic  data  in onland

and offshore areas and drilling of stratigraphic wells to make quality data of Indian Sedimentary  Basins  available  to  bidders.  Government  has  approved  acquisition  of additional2D  Seismic  data  of  20,000  LKM  in  onland  and  30,000  LKM  in  offshore beyond ExclusiveEconomic Zone (EEZ) of India.

- iv. New technologies like Airborne Gravity Gradiometry and Gravity Magnetic Survey, Passive  Seismic  Tomography  (PST),  Low-  Frequency  Passive  Seismic  (LFPS) Surveys  havebeen  implemented  to  acquire  high  quality  data  for  processing  and interpretation.
- v. Government, through Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, have executed Memorandum of Understanding  (MoUs)  with  prominent  institutes  for  research  and development in the area of oil and natural gas exploration.
- vi. Hydrocarbon  Resource  Assessment  Study  (HRAS  2025)  has  been  launched  on 17.07.2025  for  both  Conventional  and  Unconventional  Category  across  all  Indian sedimentary basins.

(e): Government have awarded 05 blocks under OALP bid rounds in the South Gujarat seabasin area. The blocks are currently under Exploration. The details of these blocks are placed as Annexure-II .

******

ANNEXURE I

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) (b)& (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4520 for 19.03.2026 asked by Shri ParshottambhaiRupalaregarding Identification and Exploration of New Oil and Gas fields:

|   Sr. No. | Block Name      | OALPBid Round   | State     |
|-----------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------|
|         1 | AS-ONHP-2022/1  | VIII            | Assam     |
|         2 | CB-ONHP-2022/1  | VIII            | Gujarat   |
|         3 | KG-UDWHP-2022/1 | VIII            | OFFSHORE  |
|         4 | MB-OSHP-2022/1  | VIII            | OFFSHORE  |
|         5 | GK-OSHP-2022/1  | VIII            | OFFSHORE  |
|         6 | GS-DWHP-2022/1  | VIII            | OFFSHORE  |
|         7 | MN-UDWHP-2022/1 | VIII            | OFFSHORE  |
|         8 | BP-OSHP-2022/1  | VIII            | OFFSHORE  |
|         9 | KK-DWHP-2022/1  | VIII            | OFFSHORE  |
|        10 | KK-OSHP-2022/1  | VIII            | OFFSHORE  |
|        11 | CY-UDWHP-2022/1 | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        12 | CY-UDWHP-2022/2 | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        13 | CY-UDWHP-2022/3 | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        14 | CB-ONHP-2022/2  | IX              | Gujarat   |
|        15 | GS-OSHP-2022/1  | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        16 | GS-OSHP-2022/2  | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        17 | AS-ONHP-2022/2  | IX              | Meghalaya |
|        18 | AS-ONHP-2022/3  | IX              | Meghalaya |
|        19 | GK-OSHP-2023/1  | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        20 | GS-ONHP-2023/1  | IX              | Gujarat   |
|        21 | CY-UDWHP-2023/1 | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        22 | GS-UDWHP-2023/1 | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        23 | GS-UDWHP-2023/2 | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        24 | GS-OSHP-2023/1  | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        25 | MB-OSHP-2023/1  | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        26 | CB-OSHP-2023/1  | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        27 | MB-OSHP-2023/2  | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        28 | GS-ONHP-2023/2  | IX              | Gujarat   |
|        29 | GS-ONHP-2023/3  | IX              | Gujarat   |
|        30 | CB-OSHP-2023/2  | IX              | Gujarat   |
|        31 | CB-ONHP-2023/1  | IX              | Gujarat   |
|        32 | CB-ONHP-2023/2  | IX              | Gujarat   |
|        33 | CB-ONHP-2023/3  | IX              | Gujarat   |
|        34 | MN-UDWHP-2023/1 | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        35 | MN-UDWHP-2023/2 | IX              | OFFSHORE  |
|        36 | KG-UDWHP-2023/1 | IX              | OFFSHORE  |

|   37 | KG-UDWHP-2023/2   | IX   | OFFSHORE   |
|------|-------------------|------|------------|
|   38 | MN-UDWHP-2023/3   | IX   | OFFSHORE   |

Details of blocks offered under OALP Bid Round X

|   Sr. No. | Block Name      | State                                    |
|-----------|-----------------|------------------------------------------|
|         1 | AN-UDWHP-2024/1 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|         2 | AN-UDWHP-2024/2 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|         3 | AN-UDWHP-2024/3 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|         4 | AN-UDWHP-2024/4 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|         5 | BP-OSHP-2024/1  | OFFSHORE                                 |
|         6 | BP-UDWHP-2024/1 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|         7 | CB-ONHP-2024/1  | Gujarat                                  |
|         8 | CY-DWHP-2024/1  | OFFSHORE                                 |
|         9 | GP-ONHP-2024/1  | Himachal Pradesh, Punjab                 |
|        10 | GS-OSHP-2024/1  | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        11 | GS-OSHP-2024/2  | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        12 | GS-UDWHP-2024/1 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        13 | HF-ONHP-2024/1  | Himachal Pradesh, Punjab & Jammu-Kashmir |
|        14 | KG-OSHP-2024/1  | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        15 | KG-UDWHP-2024/1 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        16 | KG-UDWHP-2024/2 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        17 | KG-UDWHP-2024/3 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        18 | KR-ONHP-2024/1  | Jammu-Kashmir                            |
|        19 | MB-OSHP-2024/1  | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        20 | MB-OSHP-2024/2  | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        21 | MN-UDWHP-2024/1 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        22 | MN-UDWHP-2024/2 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        23 | MN-UDWHP-2024/3 | OFFSHORE                                 |
|        24 | RJ-ONHP-2024/1  | Rajasthan                                |
|        25 | VN-ONHP-2024/1  | Uttar Pradesh                            |

ANNEXURE II

Annexure referred to in reply to part (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4520 for 19.03.2026 asked by Shri ParshottambhaiRupala regarding Identification and Exploration of New Oil and Gas fields:

| OALP Round   | Block Name     | Basin Name   | Nature   |
|--------------|----------------|--------------|----------|
| OALP-VI      | CB-OSHP-2021/1 | Cambay       | OFFSHORE |
| OALP-VII     | CB-OSHP-2021/2 | Cambay       | OFFSHORE |
| OALP-VII     | CB-OSHP-2021/3 | Cambay       | OFFSHORE |
| OALP-IX      | CB-OSHP-2023/1 | Cambay       | OFFSHORE |
| OALP-IX      | CB-OSHP-2023/2 | Cambay       | OFFSHORE |