DGH extends last date of bidding for the fifth OALP round

The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) has extended the last date of bidding for 11 oil and gas blocks on offer in the fifth exploration bid round to June 30, 2020 in view of the COVID-19 lockdown. The fifth bid round under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) opened in January 2020 and was to initially close on March 18, 2020. However, the bid date was first extended to April 16, 2020 and then to June 10, 2020. So far, the government has awarded 94 blocks in four OALP bid rounds in the past two and a half years.