Essar Oil awarded 4 coal bed methane blocks under CBM-IV

Essar Oil has secured the highest number of blocks for exploration under the fourth bid round for coal bed methane blocks after the government rejected bids by two consortiums and decided to award the blocks to the next highest bidder.

Essar oil secured the IB-CBM-2008/IV, TL-CBM-2008/IV
and the SP(NE)-CBM-2008/IV blocks. Essay Oil has also been the sole bidder for the RM (E)-CBM-2008/IV block.

Great Eastern Energy Corporation Ltd, a new entrant in the coal-to-gas business, has been awarded MG-CBM-2008/IV block.
 
A consortium of UK-based Arrow Energy and state-run Oil India Ltd (OIL) - a 60:40 joint venture - has been awarded  the CBM block AS-CBM-2008/IV.

An Arrow Energy (80 per cent) Tata Power Company Ltd (20 per cent) consortium also won the ST-CBM-2008/IV exploration block.

The CCEA also approved the award of AA-ONN-2009/2 block under NELP-VII to JOGPL-JEKPL-JODPL consortium.

The cabinet committee on economic affairs today approved the award of seven exploration blocks under the fourth bid round of CBM (CBM-IV) and one block under the eighth bid round of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP-VIII). 
 
CCEA had rejected seven bids submitted by Deep CH4 Private Limited-led consortium and three bids submitted by Kalahari Energy-led consortium for non-submission of required bid documents as per notice inviting offers (NIO) under CBM-IV.