UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — BP subsidiary, ONGC sign TSP agreement
Q1. The Technical Services Provider (TSP) agreements signed by ONGC with BP subsidiaries for the Mumbai High and Western Offshore fields are administered exclusively through which one of the following Union ministries?
- A. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
- B. Ministry of Coal
- C. Ministry of Heavy Industries
- D. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Q2. With reference to the ONGC-BP Technical Services Provider (TSP) arrangement, consider the following:
1. BP Exploration Alpha Ltd is the appointed TSP for the Mumbai High field.
2. BP Exploration Services India is the appointed TSP for the Western Offshore Basin fields.
3. Under the arrangement, the BP subsidiary acquires an equity/ownership stake in the fields.
4. The Western Offshore Basin contract covers 43 blocks, excluding Mumbai High.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- BP Exploration Alpha Ltd is the appointed TSP for the Mumbai High field.
- BP Exploration Services India is the appointed TSP for the Western Offshore Basin fields.
- Under the arrangement, the BP subsidiary acquires an equity/ownership stake in the fields.
- The Western Offshore Basin contract covers 43 blocks, excluding Mumbai High.
- A. 1, 2 and 4
- B. 1 and 3
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q3. With reference to the Mumbai High field, consider the following statements:
1. It was discovered in 1974 when the rig Sagar Samrat struck oil.
2. It lies off the west coast of India in the Arabian Sea.
3. It is India's largest offshore oil field.
4. It is situated in the Krishna-Godavari Basin off India's east coast.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- It was discovered in 1974 when the rig Sagar Samrat struck oil.
- It lies off the west coast of India in the Arabian Sea.
- It is India's largest offshore oil field.
- It is situated in the Krishna-Godavari Basin off India's east coast.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 4 only
- D. 3 and 4
Q4. Mumbai High, India's largest offshore oil field, is located approximately how many kilometres off the coast of Mumbai?
- A. 160 km
- B. 75 km
- C. 250 km
- D. 100 km
Q5. With reference to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), consider the following statements:
1. It was conferred Maharatna status in 2010.
2. It functions under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
3. It was reorganised as a limited company under the Companies Act in 1994.
4. It was first established as a statutory Commission in 1947.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- It was conferred Maharatna status in 2010.
- It functions under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
- It was reorganised as a limited company under the Companies Act in 1994.
- It was first established as a statutory Commission in 1947.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q6. According to ONGC's 2026 statement accompanying the Western Offshore TSP deal, ONGC accounts for approximately what proportion of India's total crude oil and natural gas production?
Q7. Which one of the following is ONGC's most prolific hydrocarbon-producing basin, to which the ONGC-BP Technical Services Provider model was extended in June 2026?
- A. Western Offshore Basin
- B. Krishna-Godavari Basin
- C. Cauvery Basin
- D. Assam Shelf Basin
Q8. As per the Government of India, how many sedimentary basins does the country have (across onland, offshore and deep offshore up to the Exclusive Economic Zone)?
Q9. In the ONGC-BP arrangement, the term 'Technical Services Provider' most accurately refers to which one of the following?
- A. An entity that supplies technical expertise to enhance production while ownership and operational control remain with the asset holder
- B. A foreign firm that acquires majority equity in the field in return for transferring technology
- C. A contractor awarded a production-sharing contract with a defined share of profit oil
- D. A joint-venture partner holding a participating interest in exploration blocks
Q10. Which one of the following policies, approved in 2016, was the flagship reform that shifted India's upstream oil and gas sector from a production-sharing regime to a revenue-sharing regime?
- A. Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP)
- B. New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP)
- C. Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP)
- D. Discovered Small Field (DSF) Policy
Q11. In the Reliance-BP KG-D6 block, which authority sits alongside the petroleum ministry on the management committee that oversees the block?
- A. Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH)
- B. Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB)
- C. Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB)
- D. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)
Q12. In whose presence, as the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, was the June 2026 ONGC-BP Western Offshore Technical Services Contract signed?
- A. Hardeep Singh Puri
- B. Dharmendra Pradhan
- C. Piyush Goyal
- D. Nitin Gadkari