as consortium/ individually. The PSC’s were signed for 52 exploration blocks comprising 21 deepwater, 6 shallow water and 25 onland. The exploration activities are going on in all the 52 awarded blocks. NELP-VII A total of fifty Seven blocks (57) were offered during the NELP VII round for exploration of oil and natural gas in 18 prospective sedimentary basins consists of 29 Onland, 9 Shallow Water and 19 Deep Water blocks. On 22 December 2008 Contracts were signed for 41 blocks out of which 11 blocks in Deep Water, 7 blocks in Shallow Water and 23 Onland blocks. NELP-VIII Under the eighth round of New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP-VIII), Government has offered 31 production sharing contracts on 30 June 2010. There are 8 deepwater blocks, 11 shallow water blocks and 12 onland blocks which are in the states of Assam (2), Gujarat (8), Madhya Pradesh (1) and Manipur (1). NELP-IX A total of 33 exploration blocks were offered during the bidding process. State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) successfully bid for 10 of the 33 oil and gas exploration blocks, Oil India Ltd (OIL) bid for as many as 29 blocks and managed to get 10. Reliance Industries bid for two deep-sea blocks in the Andaman Basin in the Bay of Bengal and four onshore blocks in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Chronology OF Exploration and Production Activities in India India began its journey into Oil Exploration and Production just seven years after the famous ‘Drake Well’, which heralded the beginning of the Petroleum era, which was drilled in Titus Ville, Pennsylvania, USA (1859). The oil reserves were located in the dense jungles, swamps, damp and undulated terrain of Brahmaputra Valley, Assam in the mid-19th century. The first well was drilled by Mr.Goodenough of Mckillop, Stewart and Co.; in Upper Assam in 1866 following a hint of oil show detected by the fleet of elephants carrying logs. See also Hydrocarbon exploration and licensing policy, 2016 References External links Directorate General of Hydrocarbons Govt of India: Ministry of Petroleum and Gas Association of Oil and Gas Operators Energy in India Hydrocarbons Policies of India Oil exploration