Oil & Gas

The oil and gas sector in India operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, and — for pricing matters — the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell. Upstream exploration and production is governed by Production Sharing Contracts with the Government of India — complex long-form agreements that define cost recovery mechanisms, profit petroleum splits, and the relationship between private operators and the national oil company.

Gas supply agreements — between producers, transporters, city gas distribution companies, and industrial consumers — are the commercial backbone of India's growing natural gas economy. These agreements must allocate take-or-pay obligations, nomination and scheduling rights, force majeure exposure, and quality specification risk in a way that reflects the commercial dynamics and credit standing of each counterparty. PNGRB's regulatory oversight of the natural gas transmission and distribution infrastructure creates an additional regulatory dimension that affects the contractual architecture of gas transactions.

Environmental compliance for oil and gas companies spans MoEFCC environmental clearances, CPCB/SPCB consent requirements, and increasingly rigorous NGT oversight. For offshore operations, the Offshore Areas Mineral Development and Regulation Act creates a distinct regime. Corpus Juris Legal advises oil and gas companies on the full regulatory lifecycle — from project permitting through commercial contract management, environmental compliance, and dispute resolution in arbitral and regulatory forums.