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NELP-V, bids for which closed on 31.5.2005, had attracted on unprecedented response from E&P Companies including for the first time some global majors. NELP-V was launched on 4th January, 2005 offering 20 blocks – 6 deepwater blocks, 2 shallow water blocks and 12 onland blocks. The 20 blocks cover a sedimentary area of about 1,09,210 sq. km. The onland blocks were in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra was included for the first time for exploration under NELP-V.
2. By the bid closing date of 31st May, 2005 at 1200 hrs, a total 69 bids for 20 blocks (18 bids for 6 deepwater blocks, 7 bids for 2 shallow water blocks and 44 bids for 12 onland blocks) were received. Bidding results of this round were announced same day in a Press Conference by Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The public bid opening before the authorised representatives of bidding companies commenced at 1330 hrs. Based on the information recorded by the bidding companies, a total of 26 foreign companies and 21 Indian companies (8 Public Sector Undertakings and 13 Private Sector undertakings) have submitted their bids.
3. The unprecedented interest created by NELP-V as compared to previous NELP rounds can be attributed to the very professional and extensive promotional exercise undertaken by the Government in promoting NELP-V acreages. The huge gas and oil discoveries made by Reliance Industries Ltd.-Niko Resources consortium and Cairn Energy had in no small way also helped in generating this interest amongst the companies.
4. The most significant feature of NELP-V has been the complete transparency in procedures followed. The quantitative bid evaluation criteria including weightages for each criteria and sub-criteria were made public through Notice Inviting Offers (NIO). For the first time under NELP-V, the data for the 20 blocks on offer was made available online so that companies could review the offer at their convenience from the comfort of their own offices. The work programme and fiscal terms of signed contracts from previous rounds were kept at Data Centres for viewing to enable companies to have an idea about earlier bidding trends. Even during the bid opening, the work programme and fiscal terms were read out before authorised representatives of companies for the first time. These measures have significantly improved transparency and credibility of NELP bidding process in the Fifth Round.
5. 26 foreign companies which have bid either on their own or as a consortium member are British Petroleum (UK), Petrobras (Brazil), BG (UK), ENI S.p.a (Italy), Cairn Energy (UK), Petronas Carigali (Malaysia), Hunt Oil (UK), Niko Resources Limited (Canada), Canoro Resources (Canada), Beach Petroleum (US), KUFPEC (Kuwait), Norwest Energy (US), Geopetrol International (France), Suntera Resources Limited (Russia), Zakros Holdings Ltd. (Cyprus), Foresight (UK), Providence Resources (UK), Hardy Exploration and Production (UK), Birkbeck Investment Limited (Mauritius), Exspan Exploration and Production International (Indonesia), Geoglobal Resources Ltd. (Canada), Istech Resources Asia (Indonesia), Jubilant Energy India (V) Ltd. (Cyprus), Joshi Technologies Inc. (US), Jubilant Energy India (V) Limited (Cyprus) and Welwyn Resources Limited (Canada) . 17 foreign companies which have bid for the first time under NELP are British Petroleum (UK), Petrobras (Brazil), ENI S.p.a (Italy), Hunt Oil (UK), Beach Petroleum (US), KUFPEC (Kuwait), Norwest Energy (US), Suntera Resources Limited (Russia), Zakros Holdings Ltd. (Cyprus), Foresight (UK), Providence Resources (UK), Birkbeck Investment Limited (Mauritius), Exspan Exploration and Production International (Indonesia), Istech Resources Asia (Indonesia), Jubilant Energy India (V) Ltd. (Cyprus), Jubilant Energy India (V) Limited (Cyprus) and Welwyn Resources Limited (Canada). 21 domestic companies have bid either on their own or as a consortium member are Adani Exports Limited, Adani Port Infrastructure Ltd., Assam Com. Ltd, BPCL, Essar Oil Limited, GAIL, GSPC, Gammon India Ltd., Hindustan Oil Exploration Corpn., HPCL, IOC, Jubilant Oil & Gas Pvt. Ltd., Jubilant Securities Pvt. Ltd, NTPC, OIL, ONGC, Phoenix Overseas Ltd., RIL, Tata Petrodyne Ltd., Videocon International Ltd., and Videocon Industries Ltd. Of the above 21 domestic companies, 11 companies have bid for the first time under NELP.
6. The success of NELP-V can be gauged from the following facts :
A total of 134 data packages were sold for 20 blocks which is highest so far.
A total of 22 foreign companies purchased the data as against the previous best of 9 foreign companies under NELP - I.
A total of 34 companies purchased data packages as against previous best of 15 companies under NELP-I. On an average about 7 data packages per block were sold under NELP-V as compared to the previous best of less than 3 data packages sold per block under NELP-I.
A total of 69 bids were received for 20 blocks as compared to 52 bids received for 27 blocks under NELP – III.
26 foreign companies have bid as against previous best of 10 foreign companies under NELP- I.
21 domestic companies have bid as against previous best of 9 domestic companies under NELP-I.
For the first time all the offered blocks including frontier blocks such as Deccan Synclise and Vindhyan basin blocks have received bids.
7. To keep the momentum going and promise made during the promotional round of NELP-V for timely decisions, the Government is expected to take all necessary decision and announce awards by 31st July, 2005. The Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) with successful companies is expected to be signed by 30th September 2005.
8. In order to facilitate operators to implement their work programme under the respective PSCs, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has designated Shri A.K. Jain, Director in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to act as a nodal point to interface with operating companies. Further, to address issues and help companies to obtain timely approvals from Government agencies including the State Governments. For the first time two inter-ministerial committees have been constituted - One committee headed by Minister (P&NG) and second committee under the chairmanship of Secretary (P&NG). The meeting of the inter-ministerial committee under Minister (P&NG) to streamline operational procedures under the NELP-V contracts is expected to take place in July, 2005.
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
New Delhi : Asadha 9, 1927/ June 30, 1927
RCJ/kc/ NELP-V-bid closing
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