India's Government has extended the deadline for submitting bids for the 10th round of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP-X) until May 29, 2026, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) announced. This is the fourth extension for the country's largest oil and gas acreage offer. Originally set to close in July 2025, the deadline was previously extended to October 31, December 31, 2025, and then February 18, 2026. Industry sources suggest the extension allows investors more time to review new rules following the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill. The OALP-X round offers 25 blocks totaling about 191,986 sq km, including six onshore, six shallow-water, one deepwater, and 12 ultra-deepwater blocks across 13 sedimentary basins. Notably, four blocks cover 47,058 sq km in the Andaman basin, which Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri claims could surpass oil and gas reserves found in hotspots like Guyana. This round marks the largest area ever opened for crude oil and natural gas exploration in India. Earlier rounds combined covered 378,000 sq km, with OALP-IX offering 28 blocks over 136,000 sq km. The OALP allows explorers to propose new areas and enjoy benefits like reduced royalty rates, marketing and pricing freedom, and exploration rights throughout the contract life. Under OALP-IX, major bidders included ONGC, Oil India Ltd, private player Vedanta Ltd, and a joint bid by Reliance Industries and BP. ONGC secured 11 blocks solo and three with Oil India, while Vedanta won seven and Oil India six. The government hopes expanding exploration will boost domestic production and reduce its USD 220 billion oil import bill. The deadlines for the Discovered Small Field (DSF) and special coal-bed methane (CBM) rounds remain February 18, 2026.