India is advancing its oil and gas licensing rounds, including specific bid rounds for Coal Bed Methane (CBM) blocks, as a strategic initiative to reduce its dependence on crude oil imports and secure long-term energy security.

CBM Bid Rounds and Key Participants

Bids were recently submitted for two CBM bid rounds encompassing a total of 16 blocks. Three blocks were offered in a 2025 special bid round, and 13 others were offered in a 2026 bid round. The key bidders across these rounds were private sector operators Reliance Industries and Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production (EOGEPL), along with state-owned Oil India (OIL). EOGEPL submitted bids for five tracts, while Reliance and OIL each applied for three blocks. Bids were received for eight of the 16 blocks on offer.

Detailed Bidding Results

The two blocks from the 2025 round attracted the most competitive interest. For block SR-ONHP(CBM)-2025/2 in the Raniganj area, four bidders are competing: OIL, EOGEPL, Oilmax Energy, and Invenire Petrodyne. The adjacent block, SR-ONHP(CBM)-2025/1, attracted three bidders: Prabha Energy, EOGEPL, and a consortium of Oilmax and SAS Infotech. For the 2026 round, bidding activity was more varied:

• Reliance was the sole bidder for blocks SR-ONHP(CBM)-2026/4 (Chhattisgarh) and SR-ONHP(CBM)-2026/5 (Odisha).
• Block PG-ONHP(CBM)-2026/5 in Telangana's Godavari valley attracted two bidders: EOGEPL and Reliance.
• Block SR-ONHP(CBM)-2026/2 in Madhya Pradesh received bids from OIL and EOGEPL.
• OIL was the sole bidder for Block SR-ONHP(CBM)-2026/1 in Madhya Pradesh.
• EOGEPL was the sole bidder for block PG-ONHP(CBM)-2026/3 in Telangana.

India's CBM Resource Base and Production

To date, India has awarded 33 CBM blocks with prognosticated resources of about 62.4 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas, of which 9.9 Tcf has been established as Gas in Place (GIP). The key CBM producers in the country are EOGEPL, Reliance, and Great Eastern Energy Corporation (GEECL). EOGEPL is the largest CBM operator, currently producing almost 950,000 cubic metres per day from its Raniganj East block in West Bengal. The company plans a new capital expenditure cycle at this asset starting in May, targeting up to 100 additional wells over two years, with the aim of scaling production to as much as 3 million cubic metres per day.

Broader Licensing Context

These CBM rounds are part of India's broader upstream licensing strategy. The country recently launched OALP-XI, the 11th bid round under its Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP), with awards for those blocks expected later in the year.