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.