Lok Sabha Question No. 2464 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-01
Subject: Coal Bed Methane
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: VINOD KUMAR BOIANAPALLI, KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2464 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 st  August, 2016

## COAL BED METHANE

## 2464.     SHRI B. VINOD KUMAR: SHRI KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY:

पेट्रोलियम और प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्री

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

- (a)    whether  the  Oil  and  Natural  Gas  Corporation  Limited  proposes  to  develop  Coal  Bed Methane (CBM) gas block in the country;
- (b)   if so, the details thereof along with the technology adopted to explore/locate the CBM; (c)  whether the ONGC has sought new pricing regime for CBM, if the details thereof; (d)    the  details  of  shale  oil  and  gas  reserve  available  in  the  country  and  number  of  such reserves explored particularly in Krishna Godavari Basin along with the funds allocated/spent for the purpose; (e)   whether the Government has adopted/proposes to adopt the water intensive process to explore  shale  oil  and  gas  or  proposes  to  go  for  other  alternatives  such  as  shock  waves, acidisation and injection of carbon dioxide method; and (f)    if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  steps  taken  to  adopt  alternative  sources  for
- exploration and production of shale gas?

## ANSWER

## पेट्रोलियम और प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्रािय में राज्य मंत्री ( प्राार रन्त्िवत्र ( ) प्रााप्र ामेवध ीी ) MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS

## (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) & (b): Yes.  Four Coal Bed Methane (CBM) blocks of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited  (ONGC)  i.e.  Jharia,  Bokaro,  North Karanpura  and  Raniganj(North)    are  in development phase.

Technology involved in exploitation of CBM is hydro-fracturing of coal bearing seams by drilling  vertical  wells  upto  the  requisite  depth.  Thereafter,  these  hydro-fractured  seams  are de-watered i.e. stripped of water to produce CBM.

(c):    The  CBM  operators  including  ONGC have sought permission to sale CBM on arm's length basis including provision of marketing freedom on the lines similar to provisions made in discovered small fields policy.

(d):  Based on the geo-scientific data collected during the exploration of conventional oil and gas, assessments have been made regarding the likely potential of shale gas resources in the Indian sedimentary basins. Various agencies have estimated the shale gas resource potential in selected sedimentary basins/ sub-basins as indicated below:

- i. M/s Schlumberger : 300 to 2100 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) of shale gas resource for the country (as available in public domain)
- ii. Energy Information Administration (EIA), USA in 2013: 584 TCF of shale gas and 87 billion Barrels of shale oil in 4 basins (Cambay Onland, Damodar, Krishna Godavari Onland& Cauvery Onland)
- iii. ONGC:  187.5  TCF  of  shale  gas  in  5  basins  (Cambay  Onland,  Ganga  Valley, Assam & Assam Arakan , Krishna Godavari Onland & Cauvery Onland)
- iv. Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI): 45 TCF of shale gas in 6 sub  basins  (  Jharia¸  Bokaro,  North  Karanpura,  South  Karanpura,  Raniganj  & Sohagpur)
- v. United States Geological Survey (USGS) has also estimated technically recoverable shale gas resources of 6.1 TCF in 3 basins (Cambay Onland, Krishna Godavari  Onland  &  Cauvery  Onland).  Further,  USGS  has  indicated  that  these basins have also potential for shale oil.

ONGC/OIL are carrying out shale gas exploration. During last three years 2013-16, ONGC and OIL have made an expenditure of Rs. 192.08 crore on shale gas exploration.

(e)  and  (f):  Hydro-fracturing  is  water  intensive  process.  The  other  water  free-fracturing techniques  such  as  shock  waves  and  injection  of  carbon  dioxide  are  in  Research  and Development  stage.  However,  ONGC  has  entered  into  a  Memorandum  of  Understanding with Super  Wave  Technology  Pvt. Ltd to develop Shock  Wave  Assisted  Fracking Technology.

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