India holds 527 tcf of shale gas reserves

[Ignited Mind]

India holds 527 tcf of shale gas reserves​

In January last year, the US Energy Information Administration estimated that India held 38 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves.

That was good enough for the needs of the nation for 29 years, it was said.

What if that figure was upped to a fantastic 527 trillion cubic feet?
Yes, 527 trillion cubic feet of gas, of which 50%, or over 260 tcf, were recoverable?

That amount of fuel could last for at least 200 years and would potentially be the fifth biggest hoard in the world.

China has the most, followed by US and Argentina.
A M Dayal, an emeritus scientist with the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad, said his scientists have identified 28 sedimentary basins of shale gas (natural gas found trapped in shale formations under the ground), including ten potential producing basins, across India.

These have been classified according to their hydrocarbon potential, and hold an estimated 527 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of reserves, he said.

With government policy framework on shale gas exploration expected in the next 18-24 months, and given industry’s keenness to get into exploration of the clean non-conventional energy source that is also less expensive — no processing is necessary — India can look forward to commercial production of shale gas in the next five years or by 2017, Dayal said.

Shale gas is being increasingly tapped across the world as conventional energy sources like oil and coal turn scarce and expensive.

For instance, the US has been recovering shale gas for several years. Its reserves at 2009-end were estimated at 60.6 trillion cubic feet. By 2011, the figure rose to 827 trillion cubic feet. Shale production is projected to increase from 23% of total US gas production in 2010 to 49% by 2035. Unconfirmed data even suggest that shale gas usage has helped reduce the cost of gas in the US. China is among the countries that are now looking at shale gas as source of energy.

According to scientists working on Indian shale gas, recovery rate of up to 50% is much higher than the 30% in oil and gas reserves. “Unlike conventional hydrocarbon traps, shales cover large areas and they remain a source of gas for a very long time,” said Dayal.

With the US getting into shale gas in a big way, oil and gas exploration companies in India are “ready to get into shale gas sector. They all know India is a big market”, said Dayal.

A stumbling block could be lack of a clear policy framework. Shales are available equally in the blocks already allotted to oil exploration companies. But they can’t touch the shale yet. Shale gas blocks have to be separately allotted for exploration.

However, the NGRI scientists can work on developing shale gas in India, independent of the guidelines.

“Under the 12th Five-Year Plan, we are planning to work in the Canbay basin, the Assam-Arakan basin, the K-G basin and the Damodar basin. When the exploration companies are given the blocks, they have to get the core of the shale and analyse it for geo-chemistry and petro-physics results.That will decide whether or not it is economic to take the project forward. That’s where we plan to play a role since we have the infrastructure and the grant of the Oil Industry Development Board,” said Dayal.

A potential problem in India could be that shales are mostly found about 2,000 metres deep on shore, in areas of human habitation, unlike oil drilling that takes place offshore. Specially designed water borewells may be needed in such areas to tackle escaping methane gas. Use of high-power compressors and other equipment could also unsettle local populations, while shale drilling could affect ground water reserves.

But all such challenges are not insurmountable, scientists said.

“There is an immediate need for us to tap the shale. Conventional sources are either expensive or drying up. After Bombay High, there is no big discovery on the conventional front. Even the reserves in D6 are proving to be uncertain,” Dayal said.

'India holds 527 tcf of shale gas reserves' - Money - DNA

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Yay! Now let us hand it over to the Ambanis and screw ourselves.

 

[Boobytrap]

Shale gas will release methane which is 20 times more greenhouse causing than CO2 . Though it is available but it is not environmental healthy by a mile..

 

[The enlightened]

They should focus rather focus on AHWR and getting ENR tech from countries. Nuclear power is the only way forward.

 

[ksgokul]

There was a news sometime back that the tremors intensity has increased in US in the areas, where horizontal drilling has been done to recover shale gas. Best way going forward is the Green way. Should invest in solar power and battery technology research.

 

[Nothing]

Shale gas will release methane which is 20 times more greenhouse causing than CO2 . Though it is available but it is not environmental healthy by a mile..

There are many more environmental concern abt it.. the way it is recoverable is also not good.. that can cause water pollution and damage aquifers.. for populated country like India where millions of millions of people dependent on groundwater .. shale gas is not good option....

 

[angeldemon_007]

China, US, Argetina, ????? , India....

Which is the 4th country ??

 

[RiazHaq]

US EIA puts the estimate of shale gas in India at 63 TCF.

Haq's Musings: Affordable Fuel Shortage Hurts Power Sector in South Asia

 

[aakash_2410]

US EIA puts the estimate of shale gas in India at 63 TCF.

Haq's Musings: Affordable Fuel Shortage Hurts Power Sector in South Asia

Lies!

Shale gas by country - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pakistan don't even feature in this.

And please don't give the link to your own website.

Aren't you the same 'economist' who would compare India and Bangladesh's GDP per capita (nominal) with Pakistan's GDP per capita (PPP) and then say Pakistan's percapita income is 2.5 times as much to that of India's?

 

[RiazHaq]

Lies!

Shale gas by country - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pakistan don't even feature in this.

And please don't give the link to your own website.

Aren't you the same 'economist' who would compare India and Bangladesh's GDP per capita (nominal) with Pakistan's GDP per capita (PPP) and then say Pakistan's percapita income is 2.5 times as much to that of India's?

Since when is wikipedia more authentic and reliable than US Energy Information Admin?

http://www.eia.gov/analysis/studies/worldshalegas/pdf/fullreport.pdf

As to your claim about my post on per capita income, you are either mistaken or deliberately distorting what I wrote. The fact is that I quoted Economic Survey data from both India & Pakistan in support of my post. The 2.5 factor only refers to the PPP correction, not a comparison of India & Pakistan per cap income.

Here's the link again:

http://www.riazhaq.com/2011/06/pakistans-per-capita-income-exceeds.html

 

[Ammyy]

Since when is wikipedia more authentic and reliable than US Energy Information Admin?

Much better and highly authentication as compare to someone's personal website

I dnt want to put name of that website

 

[gslv]

Best of the energy source is nuclear energy. we should establish nuclear energy plant in every part of the country so that transmission loss is decreased.but along with all the problem one that i heard is its high unit cost. electricity unit cost is Rs 5-8 as far as i know. can anybody verify that?

 

[parkland]

Since when is wikipedia more authentic and reliable than US Energy Information Admin?

http://www.eia.gov/analysis/studies/worldshalegas/pdf/fullreport.pdf

As to your claim about my post on per capita income, you are either mistaken or deliberately distorting what I wrote. The fact is that I quoted Economic Survey data from both India & Pakistan in support of my post. The 2.5 factor only refers to the PPP correction, not a comparison of India & Pakistan per cap income.

Here's the link again:

Haq's Musings: Pakistan's Per Capita Income Exceeds $3,100 in 2011

first we dont give a tiny phuck what an american or wiki says.

we only listen to what our scientist says about indian reserves. got it. thanks

 

[janon]

US EIA puts the estimate of shale gas in India at 63 TCF.

Since when is wikipedia more authentic and reliable than US Energy Information Admin?

Did you read the first sentence of the article posted, or just the title of the thread? The article says that this is a new finding, that the US estimates will have to be revised because of that.

The very first sentence says what the US estimates were earlier. The third sentence says what the new estimate is, due to the findings of our scientists.

 

[RiazHaq]

Did you read the first sentence of the article posted, or just the title of the thread? The article says that this is a new finding, that the US estimates will have to be revised because of that.

The very first sentence says what the US estimates were earlier. The third sentence says what the new estimate is, due to the findings of our scientists.

Here's what the first sentences you refer to say:

"In January last year, the US Energy Information Administration estimated that India held 38 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves.

That was good enough for the needs of the nation for 29 years, it was said."

Both of these are wrong.

First, EIA estimate was 63 TCF, not 38 TCF.

As to 29 years , that too makes no sense given the fact that India's current consumption is 1.9 TCF per year and rising.

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Here's a report from 2008 about India significantly lagging Pakistan in clean energy and CNG usage:

India is way behind Pakistan in terms of its gas pipeline network, with the neighboring country’s network stretching around 56,400 km against its 10,500 km, connecting only 20 cities compared to Pakistan’s 1,050, industry body Assocham said.

Pakistan’s pipeline density, at present is 1044 km/mmscmd (million metric standard cubic meter per day) per day compared to 116 km/mmscmd of India, Assocham said in its paper on gas sector "A Comparison between India and Pakistan".

The neighbouring country has created a 31,000 km distribution network to serve its domestic and commercial consumers in large locations, against the 11,000 km network that have so far been build in India to serve the needs of its consumers in limited pockets, the report said.

While Pakistan has nearly 1,600 CNG stations, India has 380. The gas throughput in Pakistan is 38 mmscmd per day as against 8.5 mmscmd gas in India.

The number of gas customers and vehicles running on CNG in Pakistan is about 19 lakh and 15.6 lakh respectively, while in India the number is 5.50 lakh and 4.60 lakh.

“The gas availability in Pakistan is undoubtedly quite large, compared to India but given the imports of gas and even its domestic availability in India, its pipeline network is extremely poor and the main reason attributed for the low and limited pipeline network in India is because this sector has been thoroughly regulated which has now been opened for competition,” Assocham president Venugopal Dhoot said.

The paper added that since the pipeline network in India does not reach out to most of the potential demand centres, a number of industrial projects, which would ideally run on gas, have to depend on much more costlier and more polluting alternative fuels.

“Thus the unmet gas demand in India is probably much higher than what is reported,” he said, adding India, “at present has only one major cross country pipeline in the form of Hizira-Bijaipur-Jagdishpur pipeline and there is estimated to be considerable unmet demand even in the states serviced by this pipeline”.

With the increased availability of gas, the country needs to gear up quickly to meet the increased requirement of cross country as well as regional and local downstream gas distribution networks, he said. — PTI


Haq's Musings: Pakistan Leads South Asia in Use of Clean Energy

 

[janon]

Here's what the first sentences you refer to say:

"In January last year, the US Energy Information Administration estimated that India held 38 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves.

That was good enough for the needs of the nation for 29 years, it was said."

Both of these are wrong.

First, EIA estimate was 63 TCF, not 38 TCF.

As to 29 years , that too makes no sense given the fact that India's current consumption is 1.9 TCF per year and rising.

Your subsequent statements (including saying that US estimates are more reliable than wikipedia) gave the impression that you were saying that India does not have 527 TCF, and only has what US says. If your point was simply to say that US estimates are more than what the article claims, then you are right.

Indian members subsequently made heated replies to your post, and you did not clarify that you were merely correcting the first sentence of the article, so I assumed that you were questioning the larger point of the entire article itself.

Added later: The rest of your post about comparing India and pakistan's clean energy and CNG usage has no relevance to this thread, so please remove that part so as not to start another india-pak comparison flame war. Unless you are trying to advertise your website, I don't see why you are posting all that here.