New Delhi, Oct. 1: The Russians, who have helped ONGC discover Mumbai High and the Ankleshwar oilfield in Gujarat, appear to be cooling off towards India.

Russian companies have stayed away from the oil and gas exploration blocks offered under the sixth round of the new exploration licensing policy (Nelp VI) even as Indian companies were willing to take them on board as partners.

Russian gas company Gazprom, which had participated in the earlier round and was awarded an exploration block off the Bengal coast in partnership with Gail (India), is not participating this year.

Director-general of hydrocarbons V.K. Sibal told The Telegraph that Gazprom found it difficult to source drilling rigs in the region. “Perhaps that is one of the reasons they have chosen to stay away this time around,” Sibal said.

These companies were also not allowed to undertake any drilling operations from May to September last year on the grounds that this could pose a threat to the sea turtles that come to the Orissa coast for nesting and breeding. This time loss had also upset the Russians.

Oil industry analysts feel that the Russian companies want to consolidate their huge oil and gas assets back home. With soaring international prices of oil and gas, the Russian economy has bounced back and the country is keen to step up exports.

“Gazprom produces close to 20 per cent of the world’s gas output. The company is raking in huge profits through exports to western countries and India does not really figure on its list of priorities,” a senior oil industry official said.

India has been trying to woo the Russians, and both Gail and ONGC have signed MoUs with Gazprom. However, this has not translated into much action at the ground level.

Oil India Ltd (OIL) has also signed an MoU with Itera oil and gas company of Russia, which is a private sector firm. OIL is in talks with Itera to rope in the company in some of the earlier exploration blocks that have been awarded.

However, the Indian company could not get the Russian firm to participate in Nelp VI.

Indian companies have not succeeded in acquiring oil assets in Russia either. ONGC-Videsh had managed to pick up a stake in the Sakhalin I oilfield when crude prices were low and the Russian economy was in the doldrums.

However, times have changed for the Russians since then and riding high on their riches from skyrocketing prices of oil and gas, they have pre-paid the $1.3-billion loan to OVL.