About Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP):
- It was introduced by the Government of India (GoI) as a part of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (“HELP”).
- HELP replaced the New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP) regime, which was in existence for over 18 years.
- Under the OALP, the company has the option to undertake prospecting for fuels in areas which are not notified by the GoI.
- Under the OALP the exploration can be made without waiting for an announcement from the GoI that an area is available for exploration.
- The OALP regime also allows companies access to seismic data at the National Data Repository (NDR).
