The Hindu Business Line : Presence of gas hydrates established in KG Basin

Significant achievement
India is the third country in the world after the US and Japan to collect gas hydrate samples in its deepwaters
Development of this unconventional source of energy could meet a part of India's demand for gas

New Delhi , June 21

The drill ship "JOIDES Resolution" has met with success in establishing the presence of sizeable reserves of good quality gas hydrates in the sedimentary basins of the country.

According to an official release, results from the second site in Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin are particularly remarkable showing a presence of 128-metre thick gas hydrate layer, the statement said.

`Significant development'

Speaking on the development, Mr Murli Deora, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, said, "this marks a very significant development in the country. Research and Development work is in progress to develop a commercially viable technology to produce natural gas from gas hydrates, which is so far not available anywhere in the world. Development of this unconventional source of energy could meet a large part of our ever increasing demand for gas in the decades to come."

The gas hydrate samples have now been physically collected for the first time in the country. India is the third country in the world after the US and Japan to do so in its deepwaters.

These samples have been collected at the surface, even though surface temperature is about 37 degree Centigrade, the statement said.

It added that this implies that there are massive hydrates present in the sub-surface, which has also been corroborated with the help of logging while drilling and wireline logs. Findings from the sample well was indicative of the presence of good quantities of massive gas hydrates in the area, the statement said.

The drilling,coring and logging of gas hydrate bearing sediments in the Indian offshore areas started on May 5 under the National Gas Hydrates Programme.

JOIDES resolution

For R&D purposes, the drill ship "JOIDES Resolution" was being utilised through an agreement between Directorate-General of Hydrocarbons and a "US Consortium".

The Minister flagged off the drill ship on April 30 from Mumbai for undertaking drilling, coring and logging activities. The drilling programme would be completed in four legs in about 115 days, at a budgeted cost of about $36 million (Rs 165.36 crore) funded by the Oil Industry Development Board.

According to the statement, the gas hydrate signatures were earlier seen in the seismic data and through other geo-scientific data studied carried out in selected areas, where drilling and coring activity is now in progress. Estimates are that the country has 1,896 trillion cubic metre of gas captured in gas hydrates.