Question : Open Acreage Licensing Policy

(a) the manner and extent to which the launch of National Data Repository and Open Acreage Licensing Policy under Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy are likely to help in reviving the country’s journey towards achieving energy security to reduce the import dependence by 10 per cent by 2022 and oil and gas exploration a big push;
(b) whether India’s oil and gas consumption growth is fastest among all major economies and we are likely to become the most oil consuming country in the world by 2035 and if so, the details thereof along with initiatives taken/target set to reduce crude oil import dependence by 2022 and to make the country self-reliant in the production of oil and gas;
(c) the share of import of crude oil and natural gas and that of the domestic production in total annual consumption in the country during the said period, value-wise;
(d) the details of domestic production of oil and natural gas produced by public/private sector companies in the country during the last three years and the current year along with reasons for decline in the production of public sector undertaking and steps taken to increase the domestic production of oil and gas and develop probable crude oil and natural resources in the country along with any consultation with State Governments including Gujarat to identify such places, State/UT/company/value-wise; and
(e) whether it is a fact that 52 per cent of the country’s sedimentary basins are still unappraised hampering our exploration and production efforts and if so, the details and the reasons therefor along with the concrete steps taken in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS
(SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
(a): E&P operations in India have generated voluminous data in terms of geo-scientific surveys, exploratory and development drilling and well data along with other type of data. National Data Repository (NDR) has been setup at DGH to make the entire E&P data available for commercial exploitation, research & development and academic purpose. With the availability of data on National Data Repository (NDR), the contactor can have the access to data & can make his own assessment about the prospectively of the area and carve out hydrocarbon block themselves.
Further, Under Open Acreage Licensing Policy(OALP), which is a part of HELP, contractor has the access to data round the year for assessment enabling them to propose area of their interest for bidding besides holding of bidding event at regular intervals thereby bringing maximum area under exploration consequently in achieving lower import dependency target.
(b): As per BP Statistical Review of World Energy, 2017 during the last 5 years, the growth of India in oil and gas consumption is maximum among the six major economies of the world. International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2016, has ranked India as third biggest energy consumer after United State of America and China in terms of the demand of oil in the “New Policy Scenario” in 2035.
For reducing crude oil import dependence by 2022, a five pronged strategy as mentioned under has been formulated:
i. Increasing domestic production,
ii. Promoting bio fuels and renewable resources of energy,
iii. Promoting energy efficiency and conservation,
iv. Improvement in refining processes
v. Demand substitution
(c) & (d): The details of domestic production by public/Pvt. JV companies, import and total consumption of crude oil and natural gas during last three years are at Annexure.
Natural decline and operational difficulties i.e. planned shutdown for repair, watered out prematurely, closer of wells etc. are the reasons for decline in production.
Government has taken various steps to increase exploration and production to ensure adequate supply/availability of oil and gas in the country. The steps are:
i. Appraisal of un-appraised Areas in various sedimentary basins etc under National Seismic Program and Multi-client Geo-scientific Surveys/activities in order to enable systematic exploration in these areas
ii. Re-Assessment of Hydrocarbon Resources of the country
iii. Implementation of Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP) and Open Acreage Licensing (OAL)
iv. Assimilation and availability of Geo-scientific data through National data repository (NDR)
v. Recycling of relinquished areas Early Monetization of Discovered Fields including small & Marginal fields.
vi. Extension of Existing PSCs
vii. Unconventional hydrocarbon resource development
viii. Grant of Marketing Freedom for gas produced from difficult areas
(e): 52 per cent of the country’s sedimentary basins are still unappraised. Government of India has started the National Seismic Programme (NSP) which aims to undertake an appraisal of sedimentary basins across India, especially where no/scanty data is available in order to have a better understanding of the hydrocarbon prospectivity. Under this programme Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited has been entrusted to carry out 40835 LKM of 2D seismic data acquisition, processing & interpretation (API) in 22 onland Indian Sedimentary basins in 18 States and Union Territories. Oil India Limited (OIL) has been entrusted to carry out 7408 LKM of 2D seismic data acquisition, processing & interpretation (API) in the North-Eastern States.
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