Shale gas policy by next year

The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) on Saturday said shale gas exploration acreages in the country would be available from next year.

At present, the Ministry of Petroleum is working on a shale gas regime to find out the most suitable one for the country.

“We are expecting that by next year shale gas exploration acreages will be given. At present, we are also working to find out a better shale gas regime.

This shale gas regime will be a win-win situation for all,” DGH Director General Sunil Kumar Srivastava told reporters here.

Areas such as the Cambay basin, the Krishna-Godavari basin and the Assam-Arakan basin were considered as most prospective areas for shale gas exploration, he said.

However, Mr. Srivastava said that given the variability of shale across India, a rapid pace of source development would probably come only after successful explorations in the initial basins.