Oil ministry failed to woo global firms in Nelp bidding: RNRL

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Natural Resources Limited (RNRL.NS : 67.25 -0.45) (RNRL) on Thursday stepped up attack against the petroleum ministry for its failure in attracting global players in recent New Exploration Licensing Policy (Nelp) rounds.

According to the RNRL, Nelp failures were due to the petroleum ministry's arbitrary, inconsistent and partisan policies. Reliance Power CEO JP Chalasani in a conference call with journalists was responding to media reports in which directorate general of hydrocarbons (DGH) had alleged that ongoing corporate dispute between Reliance Industries (RELIANCE.NS : 1045.95 -17.8) (RIL) and RNRL will have a negative impact on global investment inflow in India's Oil and Gas ( EandP ) sector.

However, RNRL said, "The Nelp rounds conducted over the last 3 years, unfortunately, reveal the absolute failure of the petroleum ministry to attract any global capital flows into the upstream EandP sector, primarily owing to the absence of a well-defined, transparent and consistent policy regime; the lack of sanctity attached to concluded contracts; and clear and visible partisanship in favour of domestic players, like RIL."

An analysis of the data of petroleum ministry as well as other research materials, reaffirms the above contentions. Not even one of the top 5 international oil majors participated in Nelp rounds in the past three years. The top private foreign players such as Exxon, Shell, Chevron, Statoil, Conoco Phillips have never participated in a single Nelp round. Niether sources at the petroleum ministry nor at DGH were accessible for their comments.

RNRL noted in last Nelp round (2007-08), despite prevailing $100 + crude prices: For over 20%, 12 of the 57 blocks, no bids were received, for over 30%, 19 out of 57 blocks, Only a single bidder participated, for over 25%, 16 out of 57 blocks, Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) are yet to be signed

"The objective of Nelpwas to convert the Indian upstream EandP sector into a multiplayer competitive market; instead, the petroleum ministry has helped convert it into a domestic duopoly comprising the new entrant RIL and the existing ONGC (ONGC.NS : 1165.15 -9), with 87% of all blocks in terms of acreage allotted to the two.

Currently, ONGC holds 57%, RIL 30% and others, more than 50 players, having just 13% of the NELP acreage," RNRL said. As per data of petroleum ministry available in Parliament: Out of the aggregate capital expenditure of Rs.53,500 crore ($ 10.7 billion) under 203 PSCs signed in NELP rounds so far, Only One PSC RIL's KG D6 accounts for nearly 50%, or Rs. 24,000 crore ($ 4.8 billion) expenditure.