In a move aimed at boosting India’s domestic oil and gas exploration landscape, the government has amended the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025 to significantly improve ease of doing business in the sector, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced on Thursday. The updated rules introduce several industry-friendly reforms, including the extension of petroleum lease duration from the existing 20 years to a more flexible 30 years—further extendable to the life of the field. This landmark shift gives investors greater operational certainty and long-term planning capability.
The amendments also ensure that applications for petroleum leases will now be processed within 180 days, streamlining administrative procedures. Notably, those securing a lease will now have the authority to conduct all types of mineral oil operations under a single petroleum lease, removing previous procedural complexities and enabling more efficient field development.
These changes are expected to strengthen India’s exploration and production infrastructure, encourage deeper investments, and support a more robust and future-ready energy sector.