Help is at hand
India has revamped some upstream terms, much to the industry’s relief
The country's oil and gas industry approves of the new upstream-licensing regime, which can reinvigorate exploration and development, says oil and gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "There is a lot of public appreciation within the industry" for India's new Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (Help), Pradhan tells Petroleum Economist in an exclusive interview. Help-which replaces the New Exploration Licensing Policy (Nelp) model-will shortly be put to the test in an auction of 67 discovered but as-yet-undeveloped small oil- and gasfields. "I'm confident," says Pradhan. "We are sensing good vibes in the market." In use since 1999 as the framework for nine licensing rounds, Nelp delivered l
Also in this section
14 January 2026
Chavez’s socialist reforms boosted state control but pushed knowledge and capital out of the sector, opening the way for the US shale revolution
14 January 2026
Leading economies in the region are using oil and gas revenues to fund mineral strategies and power hyperscale computing
14 January 2026
The South American country offers stable, transparent and high-potential opportunities and is now ready for fresh exploration and partnership
13 January 2026
Across Europe, countries have grappled with balancing ambitious energy transition plans with realities about security of supply
