NATURAL GAS RESERVES: INDIA AND THE WORLD
Introduction
- Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane.
- Propane, butane, pentane, and hexane are also present.
- Sometimes a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, or helium.
- It is formed when layers of decomposing plant and animal matter are exposed to intense heat and pressure under the surface of the Earth over millions of years.
- The energy that the plants originally obtained from the sun is stored in the form of chemical bonds in the gas. Natural gas is a fossil fuel.
- Natural gas is a non-renewable hydrocarbon used as a source of energy for heating, cooking, and electricity generation. It is also used as a fuel for vehicles and as a chemical feedstock in the manufacture of plastics and other commercially important organic chemicals.
- It is a potent greenhouse gas itself when released into the atmosphere, and creates carbon dioxide when burnt.
- Natural gas can be efficiently burned to generate heat and electricity.
- Natural gas is found in deep underground rock formations or associated with other hydrocarbon reservoirs in coal beds and as methane clathrates.
- Most natural gas was created over time by two mechanisms: Biogenic and thermogenic.
- Biogenic gas is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, landfills, and shallow sediments.
- Deeper in the earth, at greater temperature and pressure, thermogenic gas is created from buried organic material.
Natural Gas Resources
The Largest Natural Gas Fields in the World
|
Rank |
Field name |
Country |
Recoverable reserves (km3) |
| 1 |
South Pars |
Iran and Qatar |
35,000 |
| 2 |
Urengoy |
Russia |
6,300 |
| 3 |
Jebel Ali |
UAE |
5000 |
| 4 |
Yamburg |
Russia |
3,900 |
| 5 |
Hassi R’Mel |
Algeria |
3,500 |
| 6 |
Shtokman |
Russia |
3,100 |
| 7 |
Galkynysh |
Turkmenistan |
2,800 |
| 8 |
Zapolyarnoye |
Russia |
2,700 |
| 9 |
Hugoton |
USA |
2,300 |
| 10 |
Groningen |
Netherlands |
2,100 |
| 11 |
Bovanenkovo |
Russia |
2,000 |
| 12 |
Medvezhye |
Russia |
1,900 |
| 13 |
Dauletabad |
Turkmenistan |
1,400 |
| 14 |
Karachaganak |
Kazakhstan |
1,370 |
| 15 |
North Pars |
Iran |
1,340 |
| 16 |
Kish |
Iran |
1,300 |
| 17 |
Orenburg |
Russia |
1,300 |
| 18 |
Kharasavey |
Russia |
1,200 |
| 19 |
Shah Deniz |
Azerbaijan |
1,200 |
| 20 |
Golshan |
Iran |
850 |
| 21 |
Zohr |
Egypt |
850 |
Natural Gas Reserves in India
- Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Khambhat, Bassein field, Bombay High, Barmer in Rajasthan, KG basin, Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, Tripura,
- India’s economically viable reserve of natural gas is
- 541 BCM (on-shore, Assam, and Gujarat),
- 190 BCM offshore in Bay of Cambay
- 190 BCM(billion cubic metres) in Bombay High.
- Huge reserve of 400 BCM is reported in Tripura Basin.
- 72 BCM is in the Rava structure
- huge reserve around Andaman and Nicobar island. (unexplored)
- On the basis of remote sensing information, Andaman and Nicobar reserves are estimated to be around 1700 BCM where production has not yet started. This reserve can serve India’s energy needs for the next 100 years.
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