Oil and Natural Gas Corp, India's largest oil producer, bagged eight out of the 18 oil and gas block awarded today while country's largest private sector firm Reliance Industries managed five.
Twenty blocks - 12 onland, 2 shallow water and six deepwater, were auctioned under New Exploration Licensing Policy 'Round V,' but the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Monday awarded only 18, referring the bids in the remaining two blocks to the law ministry, according an official release.
A minimum investment of Rs 1,653 crore ($380 million) has been committed in the Phase-I of the exploration programme in the 18 blocks awarded today. All three phases of exploration and production would see an investment of Rs 3,771 crore ($867 million).
Oil India-Hindustan Petroleum Corp combine won one onland block in Assam (AA-ONN-2003/3), while the consortium of Gujarat State Petroleum Corp-GAIL India-Jubilant Capital-Geo Global Resources got the Cambay basin onland block of CB-ONN-2003/2.
The Rajasthan block went to Phoenix Overseas-Birckbeck Investment, while GeoGlobal and Niko were left with one block each (DS-ONN-2003/1 and CY-ONN-2003/1 respectively).
ONGC won only two blocks - Andaman sea block of AN-DWN-2003/1 and Cambay basin shallow water block CB-OSN-2003/1 - on its own and the remaining in partnership with ENI of Italy and Cairn Energy of UK.
Reliance Industries, on its own, bagged two Kerala-Konkan deep-sea blocks and one Cambay basin onland block - CB-ONN-2003/1. It partnered with Hardy Exploration and Production of UK to win the Krishna Godavari deepsea block of KG-DWN-2003/1 and teamed up with Niko Resources of Canada to bag Mahanada basin block.
ONGC won both the Andaman basin deepwater blocks - one on its own and the other in partnership with ENI of Italy and GAIL (India) Ltd.
It emerged triumphant in both the shallow water blocks, winning the Cambay basin block on its own and the Gujarat Saurashtra basin block along with Cairn Energy of UK.
The consortium of Jubilant Oil, Gujarat State Petroleum Corp and GAIL got two onland blocks in Assam basin, while Oil India and Hinudstan Petroleum got the third in the basin.
Reliance got the Ganga Valley and Cambay onland block. ONGC with Cairn bagged the Vindhya valley and Krishan Godavari basin onland block, while it got one Rajasthan block with ENI and Cairn. The other Rajasthan block went to Phoenix and Birckbeck Investment.