The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) has released the summary of bids received from companies to explore oil and gas from 21 blocks. Only three companies — the public sector majors such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Oil India Ltd and Sun Petrochemicals Pvt Ltd — have placed bids under the sixth round of the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP).

The 21 blocks are from States such as Gujarat, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh along with the Western Offshore and Eastern Offshore. The bidding process was closed closed on October 6. The total areas of the 21 blocks covers more than 35,340 square km.

The Centre had earlier said in a release that the 21 blocks under OALP Round-VI are spread across 11 sedimentary basins and include 15 onland blocks, four shallow water blocks and two ultra deep water blocks. “Category-wise, there are 12 blocks in category-I basins, four in Category II basins and five in category-III basins,’ the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas had said in an earlier statement.