Lok Sabha Question No. 4672 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-23
Subject: Oil Exploration in India
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: Jasbir Singh Gill, Harish Dwivedi

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4672 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 rd  March, 2020

## Oil Exploration in India

## 4672.  SHRI JASBIR SINGH GILL: SHRI HARISH DWIVEDI:

पैट्रोलियम और प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्री

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a) the total quantum of crude oil available in the country vis-a-vis and total quantum of crude oil imported in the year, 2019;
- (b) the quantum of crude oil being produced in the country against the quantum of requirement during the last three years;
- (c)  the  number  of  domestic  and  foreign  companies  involved  in  oil  exploration  in India;
- (d) the total amount of crude oil extracted from wells drilled during the last five years; and
- (e)  whether  the  Government  is  working  out  any  plan  to  explore  new  reserves  of crude oil to enhance the production and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

पैट्रोलियम और प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्री ( श्री धमेन्द्र प्रधान )

## THE MINISTER OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) Crude oil  available  during  the  2018-19  was  260.7  MMT  in  which  34.2  MMT produced and 226.5 MMT imported.
- (b) Production of crude oil and consumption of oil based petroleum products for the last three years were:

| Year    |   Production of Crude Oil (MMT) |   Consumption of Oil's Based Petroleum Products (MMT) |
|---------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
| 2016-17 |                           36.01 |                                                194.6  |
| 2017-18 |                           35.68 |                                                206.17 |
| 2018-19 |                           34.2  |                                                213.22 |

(c) Total 80 domestic and foreign companies are involved in oil exploration and production  activities  in  India  comprising  9  Public  Sector  Enterprises,  57  private companies and 14 foreign companies.

(d) The year wise details of the production of crude oil for the period 2014-15 to 2018-19 are given below:

| Year    |   Production of Crude Oil (in MMT) |
|---------|------------------------------------|
| 2014-15 |                              37.46 |
| 2015-16 |                              36.94 |
| 2016-17 |                              36.01 |
| 2017-18 |                              35.68 |
| 2018-19 |                              34.2  |

(e) Government has taken several steps to enhance exploration & production of oil and  gas  in  the  country  which  include;  Policy  for  Relaxations,  Extensions  and Clarifications under Production Sharing Contract (PSC) regime for early monetization of hydrocarbon discoveries, Discovered Small Field Policy, Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy, Policy for early monetization of Coal Bed Methane, Setting up of National Data Repository, Appraisal of Unappraised areas in Sedimentary Basins, Re-assessment  of  Hydrocarbon  Resources,  Policy  framework  to  streamline  the working of  Production  Sharing  Contracts  in  Pre-NELP  and  NELP Blocks,  Policy  to Promote  and  Incentivize  Enhanced  Recovery  Methods  for  Oil  and  Gas,  Policy framework  for  exploration  and  exploitation  of  Unconventional  Hydrocarbons  under existing Production Sharing Contracts, Coal Bed Methane contracts and Nomination fields.

The Government in February, 2019 approved major reforms in exploration and licensing  policy  to  enhance  exploration  activities,  attract  domestic  and  foreign investment  in  unexplored/unallocated  areas  of  sedimentary  basins  and  accelerate domestic production of oil and gas from existing fields. The policy reforms inter-alia aim  to    boost  exploration  activities  with  greater  weightage  to  work  programme, simplified fiscal and contractual terms, bidding of exploration blocks under Category II and  III sedimentary basins without any production or revenue  sharing to Government,  early  monetization  of discoveries by extending  fiscal incentives, incentivizing    gas  production  including  marketing  and  pricing  freedom,  induction  of latest technology and capital, more functional freedom to National Oil Companies for collaboration and private sector participation for production enhancement methods in nomination  fields,  streamlining  approval  processes  and  promoting  ease  of  doing business including electronic single window mechanism.

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