GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF

PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS

LOK SABHA 

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 774

ANSWERED ON:01.03.2013

NEW SOURCES OF FUELS

ANANT KUMAR HEGDE

(a)whether sources of fuels like shale gas, hydrocarbon and Coal Bed Methane (CBM) have been discovered in the country ;

(b) if so, the details thereof ; and

(c) the quantum of increase in energy resources likely to take place as a result thereof fuel-wise?

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GASbe pleased to state:-

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS

( SHRIMATI PANABAAKA LAKSHMI)

 a) & b) Yes Sir Government has taken following steps to explore and exploit conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources in the country:

i. Government of India (GoI) has so far awarded 282 exploration blocks 28 blocks under Pre-NELP and 254 under New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) for exploration and production of conventional hydrocarbon resources. Till date a total of 176 hydrocarbon discoveries (89 oil and 87 gas) have been made in 48 blocks. Out of these, commercial production has commenced from 21 discoveries. As on 01.04.2012, In-Place oil reserves of 368 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) and gas reserves of 732 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) has been established from above discoveries.

ii. A total of 33 Coal Bed Methane (CBM) blocks have been awarded so far by GoI under CBM bidding rounds. About 9.12 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) of CBM reserves have been established in 6 CBM blocks till date. Commercial/incidental production of CBM has commenced from 3 CBM blocks . Current CBM production in the country is about 0.3 MMSCMD.

iii. In order to explore and exploit shale oil/gas resources in India, a Shale Gas policy is being prepared by GoI. Further, resource estimation of shale oil/gas in selected Indian Basins has been taken up by United States Geological Survey (USGS), ONGC and Central Mining and Planning Design Institute (CMPDI).

c) As per the proposed XII Plan document, the following projections have been made in so far as oil and gas production :

i. Oil production is estimated to increase from 38.086 MMT in 2011-12 to about 41.16 MMT in 2016-17. However, the gas production is likely to around 63.88 BCM in 2016-17 as compared to 47.56 BCM in 2011-12.

ii. CBM production is projected to reach to the level of 1.46 BCM by 2016-17 from 0.084 BCM in 2011-12.