Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Natural Gas

• Historically, India has relied on coal to power its electricity sector, liquid fuels as feed stock and oil for its transport sector. But for environmental reasons we need to focus on cleaner fuels.
• The development of Natural Gas industry in the country started in 1960s with discovery of gas fields in Assam and Gujarat. After discovery of South Basin fields by ONGC in 1970s, Natural Gas assumed importance. The Exploration activities in India were earlier carried out only by the National Oil Companies (ONGC & OIL) under nomination regime. Later private companies where allowed to enter into exploration through JV with NOCs under Pre-NELP regime (New Exploration and Licensing Plan, 1999). Subsequently, 100% foreign participation in exploration was allowed in the current NELP regime. Later discoveries were made in Gujarat, KG basin, Cauvery basin, Tripura, Assam etc. In 2004, liquefied Natural Gas was imported from Qatar and LNG terminal was set up at Dahej (Gujarat).
• Gas is one of the cleanest fuel with less carbon dioxide per joule delivered than either by coal or oil and far fewer pollutants than other hydrocarbon fuels.
• Use of Natural Gas: Fertilizers (35%) > Power (24%) > CNG & Domestic Use (13%) > Refineries > Petrochemicals > Steel.
• At present, the country has a gas pipeline network length of 14,987 Km spread over 15 States & UTs. Largest: Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur-GREP-Dahej-Vijaipur (4222 km)
• Few states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and UP together consume more that 65% of the available gas, while a large number of states have no access to gas. This regional imbalance is mainly on account of lack of pipeline infrastructure in many states like West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
• The share of offshore natural gas production in 2014-15 was about 74%. The remaining natural gas production including CBM was from 10 States viz., Assam (8.9%), Gujarat (4.6%), Tamil Nadu (3.6%), Rajasthan (3.4%), Tripura (3.3%), Andhra Pradesh (1.5%), West Bengal (0.6%), Arunachal Pradesh (0.1%), Jharkhand (0.01%) and Madhya Pradesh (0.01%).

Crude oil

• About 68.5% of crude oil is by ONGC and OIL from nomination regime and remaining 31.5% of crude oil production is by Private/JV companies from PSC regime.
• In 2014-15, the share of offshore crude oil production was about 50.2%. The remaining crude oil production was from 6 States viz., Andhra Pradesh (0.7%), Arunachal Pradesh (0.2%), Assam (12.1%), Gujarat (12.5%), Rajasthan (23.7%) and Tamil Nadu (0.6%).

CBM Resources

• The estimated Coal Bed Methane (CBM) resources spread over in 11 states in the country. JHARKHAND (28%) > RAJASTHAN> GUJARAT > ORISSA > CHATTISGARH> MADHYA PRADESH>WEST BENGAL > TAMILNADU > ANDHRA PRADESH > MAHARASHTRA > NORTH EAST.

Shale Gas / Oil Resource

• It is estimated that a number of sedimentary basins (Gangetic plain, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh & other coastal areas) in India, including the hydrocarbon bearing ones – Cambay, Assam-Arakan, & Damodar – have large shale deposits. Various agencies have estimated the shale gas/ oil resource potential in selected sedimentary basins / sub-basins in India. 

Gas Hydrate

• The presence of significant quantities of Gas Hydrate has been established in the KG, Mahanadi and Andaman basins.