Govt plans to launch NELP-IX by Sept-Nov 2010

The government plans to launch the ninth round of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP-IX) by September-November this year to auction up to 45 oil and gas blocks, a top official from Directorate General of Hydrocarbons said today.

"We have initiated the process last month for NELP-IX. We believe in another 4-6 months we will be able to launch it," DGH Advisor (Production) R K Sinha told PTI here.

The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) is already in the process of identifying a number of blocks and some inter-ministerial clearances from the ministries of environment and forests, defence, external affairs and various state governments are needed, Sinha said.

"The economic situation is improving...We believe that the ninth round will be able to attract a good response from both domestic and foreign oil and gas companies," he said, adding, "we hope we will be able to put a large number of blocks under exploration even in the downward period."