When The Sunday Times FT ran an email poll last year on the issue of scams following an outcry over too many scam ads at the Chillies, the premier ad agency awards, the majority of respondents frowned on scam ads.

The Model Petroleum Resources Agreement (MPRA) for the Mannar Basin Licensing Round (SL 2007-1) is identical with the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) of India for the seventh offer of blocks under the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP 7).

A major furore broke out last week between the Ministry of Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Development and the Central Bank (CB) over a move by the latter to set up a specialized research unit on oil exploration.