India will have to wait for another two to three years to shift to

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open acreage licensing policy (Oalp) for exploitation of hydrocarbon blocks. The setting up of National Data Repository (NDR), which is a pre-requisite for the new system, will need at least two years from now.

The NDR would be a bank to all data related to exploration of hydrocarbon blocks in the country. The data will include 2D and 3D seismic, geophysical and geochemical surveys of the sedimentary blocks and results of drilled wells, if any for a particular block.

The petroleum ministry mooted the idea to shift to Oalp from the existing New Exploration Lic­ensing Policy (Nelp) almost five years ago. But, things have started moving forward only recently. Petroleum minister Murli Deora in June put life to the plan indicating to shift to this new regime at the earliest.

“The upstream regulator Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) will select a global agency to set up NDR in couple of months from now,” said an oil ministry official, who didn’t wish to be named.

“The process is being done through a global competitive bidding and four companies have pla­ced their bids so far. DGH is evaluating their proposals,” the official said, without divulging the names of the companies citing confide­ntiality issues.

The setting up of NDR would take at least two year after the contract is handed over, the official indicated, adding, it is likely to cost up to Rs 30 crore.

These data hosted by the NDR would be accessible to explorers at a minimum cost. They can review com­mercial viability of the block and place a bid any­time of the year. At present, government auctions oil, gas and coal-bed methane blocks under NELP, which was unveiled in 1999.