(a) whether the Government has made any assessment of the production vis-a-vis
demand of natural gas in the country by 2026-27;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the steps being taken or proposed to be taken by the government to meet the
increasing demand of Natural Gas?
Minister of State in the Ministry of PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SMT. PANABAAKA LAKSHMI)
(a) & (b) According to a study commissioned by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory
Board(PNGRB), the natural gas production in the country is projected to be about 211
Million StandardCubic Meters per Day (MMSCMD) in the year 2026-27 against the projected
demand of 654.55 MMSCMD in the same year.
(c) The Government has taken various steps to increase oil/gas production in the country
as mentioned:
(i) Offering more areas for exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons through New
Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP)/Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) bidding rounds
and Shale Gas Policy.
(ii) Pursuing various alternate sources of energy, such as, Coal Bed Methane (CBM), Shale
Gas/Shale Oil and Gas Hydrates etc.
(iii) Introducing various guidelines/policies, such, allowing exploration in Mining
Lease (ML) area after the expiry of exploration period and submission of Integrated
Field Development Plan(IFDP) etc. for early monetization of hydrocarbon discoveries
etc.
(iv) Sourcing gas through trans-nationai gas pipelines (e.g., Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-
Pakistan-India pipeline)