Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules 2025 Notified
Why focus: Introduces 'basket petroleum leases' — GS3 Economy, tests natural resource allocation in Assertion-Reason format
In News
What Happened
Why It Matters
Background
History & Context
What Changed
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Unified Basket Lease: BEFORE, companies required separate exploration licenses and mining leases, causing delays. NOW, a single 'basket petroleum lease' covers all stages (exploration, appraisal, development, production) for all hydrocarbons, including shale and coal bed methane.
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Decriminalization of Offenses: BEFORE, regulatory violations could attract criminal penalties and imprisonment. NOW, criminal liability is removed and replaced with strict financial deterrents (fines up to ₹25 lakh, plus ₹10 lakh per day for continuing breaches).
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Extended Lease Tenure: BEFORE, lease extensions were shorter and fraught with uncertainty. NOW, leases can be granted for up to 30 years and are extendable for the full economic life of the field, protecting long-term capital investments.
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Time-Bound Approvals: BEFORE, applications suffered from indefinite bureaucratic delays. NOW, the government must decide on applications for a petroleum lease within a strict 180-day window.
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Comprehensive Energy Integration: BEFORE, leased oilfields were strictly restricted to hydrocarbon extraction. NOW, operators can integrate renewable energy (solar, wind) and hydrogen production within their leased areas to decarbonize their operations.
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Infrastructure Sharing: BEFORE, infrastructure was siloed per operator. NOW, lessees can mutually share infrastructure and are mandated to file an annual declaration of installed, utilized, and excess capacity to optimize national resources.
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Environmental and Safety Upgrades: BEFORE, environmental safeguards in the rules were rudimentary. NOW, they mandate time-bound plans for zero routine gas flaring, and formally designate the Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) as the competent authority for offshore safety.
What Did NOT Change
Despite the sweeping operational changes, the fundamental constitutional jurisdiction over resources remains untouched. The State Governments continue to grant leases for onshore blocks (with the mandatory prior approval of the Central Government), while the Centre retains exclusive rights and jurisdiction over offshore resources in territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Furthermore, absolute ownership of the underlying minerals remains vested in the sovereign state, not the private lessee.
Prelims Angle
NCERT Connection
Common Misconceptions
✗ The new 'basket petroleum lease' transfers ownership of the oil and gas reserves to private energy companies.
✓ The state retains absolute sovereign ownership of the underlying minerals. The rules merely grant a unified, long-term operational lease (up to 30 years) to extract the resources.
The terms 'basket lease' and 'full economic life extension' make students mistakenly equate long-term extraction rights with permanent property rights.
✗ Oil and gas operators are strictly prohibited from generating renewable energy to prevent mixing of commercial operations.
✓ The 2025 Rules actively encourage 'comprehensive energy projects,' explicitly allowing operators to set up solar, wind, or hydrogen projects on oilfields.
Historically, mining and petroleum leases were rigidly restricted to the specific mineral mentioned in the contract, strictly forbidding alternative land uses.
✗ Because petroleum is a subject of national importance, the Central Government independently grants all petroleum leases across India.
✓ For onshore resources within a state's territory, the State Government actually grants the lease, though it requires the prior approval of the Central Government.
Because highly visible policies like HELP and OALP are formulated by the Union Ministry of Petroleum, students assume the Centre directly executes all onshore and offshore leases.
Practice Questions
Q1
How Many CorrectConsider the following statements regarding the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025: 1. Violations of lease terms under the new rules attract mandatory imprisonment alongside financial penalties. 2. The rules introduce a 'basket petroleum lease' that replaces the need for separate exploration and mining licenses. 3. For onshore oilfields, the petroleum lease is granted directly by the Central Government without the involvement of the State Government. How many of the above statements are correct?
Q2
Match the FollowingMatch the specific provisions of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025 (List I) with their corresponding details (List II): List I A. Default Dispute Resolution Seat (Domestic Companies) B. Maximum time limit to decide lease applications C. Maximum Initial Lease Tenure granted D. Designated Competent Authority for Offshore Safety List II 1. 180 days 2. New Delhi 3. 30 years 4. Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Q3
Assertion & ReasonAssertion (A): The Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025 permit operators to set up renewable energy projects, such as solar and wind, on their leased oilfields. Reason (R): The government has exempted domestic oilfields from all greenhouse gas emission reduction targets to maximize fossil fuel extraction. Select the correct answer from the codes given below: