The document summarizes the history of petroleum exploration and liberalization in India. It discusses how exploration began in the 1800s and the first commercial discovery was made in 1889. It then covers major developments and exploratory efforts through the 1900s. Factors leading to policy liberalization in the early 1990s included discouraging exploration results, declining domestic production, and increasing demand and costs. The document outlines the blocks and fields offered for private/joint venture participation under various bidding rounds from 1980 to 1995.

1. LIBERALISATION OF
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY IN INDIA
AND ITS IMPACT
S. S. YALAMARTY

4. • Hydrocarbon exploration in India commenced in Assam in
1825 when Lt R. Wilcox of 46th Regiment Native Infantry
reported first sight of oil.
• It took almost four decades to begin a scientific search for
hydrocarbons till H.B.Medlicott of GSI sighted oil seepage in
1866 near Makum area when his survey party was rowing up
the Burhi Dihing River beyond Namchik in Assam.
• Though the first oil well was drilled in March 1867 at Makum
to a depth of 118.2’, it took another 22 years to make the first
commercial oil discovery at Digboi when Assam Railways &
Trading Company drilled Digboi-1 to a depth of 662’.
• Assam Oil Company was formed in the year1889 and Burma
Oil Company initiated their oil exploration at Badarpur.

5. • Since then there was no looking back for our country on the oil exploration front.
• There was rapid technological development during the last century in all the branches of oil
exploration and we moved from rugged mountains and thick forests on to the plains to
coastal areas to shallow waters and finally into super deep waters.
• Indo-Stanvac Petroleum Project drilled 10 exploratory wells between 1950-60 in West
Bengal but without any success.
1957 Burdwan, Gotri (8921’. and 4250’).
1958 Jalangi, Debagram and Bolpur
(11,731’, 10,189,and 4220’).
1959 Ranaghat and Memari
(13,000’ and 12,490’).
1960 Port Canning, West Ranaghat and Ghatal
(13,254,8,607 and 10,200’).
FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO POLICY LIBERELIZATION
• Discouraging exploratory results during late eighties from NOCs
• Decline in indigenous oil production
• Galloping demand for oil and gas
• Financial exigencies

6. BLOCKS OFFERED FOR EXPLORATION
UNDER VARIOUS BIDDING ROUNDS
TBLE-1
No of
Blocks Offered
No of
Blocks Awarded
Bid
Round
Year
On Land Offshore On land Offshore
Majors
I 1980 15 17 Nil 01 Chevron
II 1982 08 42 Nil Nil -
III 1986 Nil 27 Nil 09 Shell, BHP,
Chevron-Texaco,
AMOCO and IPC
Table II
NoOf
Blocks Offered
NoOf
Blocks
Awarded
Basins
Bid
Round
Year
On
Land
Offshore On
Land
Offshore
Majors
On
Land
Offshore
IV 1991 33 39 03 02 Oakland,
HOEC,
Mafatlal
&Shell
GK,
PG
and
RJ
CY&
KG
V 1993 15 30 02 04 Essar RJ CY, GK,
KG&
BB
VI 1993 29 17 03 02 HOEC,
GSPC &
Phoenix,
TPD,
Valco,
ONGC &
CAIRN
CB
&RJ
CB
Table III
No Of
Blocks Offered
No Of
Blocks
Awarded
Basins
Bid
Round
Year
On
Land
Offshore On
Land
Offshore
Majors
On
Land
Offshore
VII 1994 28 17 06 01 Oakland,
Essar Oil,
Opseis &
Phoenix
AA,
CB
&
GK
CB
VIII 1994 19 15 06 01 Occidental,
Assam Co,
Medallion,
HOEC &
General
Fabrics,
Essar Oil
& Tullow
AA,
CR
&
KG
BB
JV 1995 10 18 03 02 Tullow,
Oakland &
RIL,
L&T, JTI,
Tullow&
RIL
AA,
JM
&
RJ

8. Exploitation Strategy
• Increasing Gap Between Supply &
Demand Of Petroleum Products
• Declining Trend In Oil & Gas
Production
• Help NOC to Overcome Financial
Crunch
• Expedite Development &
Production of Small and Medium
Sized Fields
• Introduction Of New And
Innovative Technology.
 Government Of India Opened Up Hydrocarbon Exploitation
Front For Private/JVC Participation in 1992.
1992
No Of Fields
Offered
Fields Awarded
Fields
On
Land
Offshore On Land Offshore
Small 21 12 12 01 (PY-!)
Medium 06 06 01
(Kharsang)
06 (Ravva, Mid & South Tapti,
Panna, Mukta, Ratna Series)

9. 1993
No Of Fields Offered Fields Awarded
Fields On Land Offshore On Land Offshore
Small 29 04 09
(Amguri, N.Balol, N.Kathana
Dholasan, Sanganpur, Allora,
Ognaj, Kanawara & Unawa)
NIL
Medium 06 02 NIL NIL