(a) whether the reserves of shale gas have been explored in the country and if so, the details thereof along with the date when the said exploration was carried out;
(b) the total number of oil/gas blocks found and quantum of shale gas reserves explored in the country till March 2018; and
(c) whether the Government has fixed any time limit for starting commercial production in the said gas blocks and if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
(SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
(a) to (c) A statement is laid on the table of the house.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *179 “Shale Gas Exploration”.
(a) & (b): In order to exploit shale gas and oil in the country, Government of India on 14th October, 2013 announced the Policy Guidelines for Exploration and Exploitation of Shale Gas and Oil by National Oil Companies, i.e. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited and Oil India Limited (OIL) in their onland Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) / Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) areas awarded under the nomination regimes. In pursuance of this Policy, under the first phase of assessment, ONGC has drilled 22 assessment wells in 18 blocks in 4 Basins (Assam, KG, Cauvery and Cambay basin) and OIL has drilled 3 wells in 3 blocks in 2 Basins (Assam and Rajasthan).
(c): No commercial discovery of Shale Gas has been established in the country, so far.
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