Friday, September 15 2006 17:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Global energy giants British Gas, British Petroleum, Italy's ENI and Petronas of Malaysia were among a host of companies that bid today for 55 oil and gas blocks in India offered in the sixth round of auction under the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP).

"We have received 165 bids at the close today 34 foreign companies including 19 new ones participated in this round," V K Sibal, Director General of Hydrocarbons, said.

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) bid for the maximum number of 45 blocks, while Reliance Industries bid for 21. Anil Ambani Group firm Reliance Natural Resources Ltd tied with Naftogaz of Ukraine to bid for 9 blocks and with PGNIG of Poland to bid for another 3 blocks.

BG was the lead bidder in the consortium that included ONGC and Coal India Ltd for three deep-sea and one shallow water block and partnered ONGC in 10 deep-sea, 2 shallow water offshore and 18 onland blocks.

Malaysia's Petronas bid for one shallow water block in prospective Krishna Godavari basin.

BP bid for two Mahanadi Basin deep-sea block with ONGC while ENI was lead partner in two deep-sea, one shallow offshore and two onland blocks.

RIL bid for 17 deep-sea and blocks each in shallow water and onland. It took state-owned Oil India Ltd as partner in one Mahanadi basin deepsea block.

Cairn Energy of UK made lead bids for seven blocks on its own and was junior partner in five others.

Sibal said while 52 bids were received for 24 deep water blocks, six shallow offshore blocks got 24 bids and 24 onland blocks got 89 bids.

"We will award the contracts by December 31," he added.