Oil and Gas Exploration and Production in India: A Reference Book. New Delhi, Infraline, 2005, 510 p., maps, charts, tables.

    "This book covers important aspects of petroleum geology and the potential of the Indian Sedimentary basins together with the profiles of the oil and gas fields discovered so far, to the pre-NELP exploration bidding rounds as well as the first four offers under NELP.

    The book is replete with maps showing the sedimentary basins of India, exploration blocks offered under the pre-NELP and NELP rounds, energy map showing the pipelines, refineries, power stations and other infrastructure facilities, important oil and gas fields in India and adjoining countries and a map showing the Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) and Mining Lease (ML) areas held by the national oil companies as well as by private companies. The book promises to be a valuable addition to the existing rather sparse literature on the petroleum E&P sector in India and shall help all those who desire to have voluminous and diverse information on this important subject. 

    Chapters on new significant discoveries, future exploration and development programme of the principal companies, current petroleum production and future trends, the investment scenario of the two ONGC and OIL and of the private companies, and details of the fiscal and regulatory regime give the book an added importance. There is a separate chapter on Deepwater Exploration and the activities of the different players / companies in this sector. Chapter on new significant discoveries, future exploration and development programmes of the principal companies, current petroleum production and future trends, the investment scenario of National Oil Companies and of the private companies, and details of the fiscal and regulatory regime give the book an added importance.

    Issues in the Coal Bed Methane or CBM like the prospect scenario, the fiscal regime and the status of the first two rounds of CBM exploration have been dealt with in some details.

    Chapters on oil equity, estimation of petroleum reserves and auditing standards and practices of petroleum reserves have been included and they enhance the value of the book. Besides the above, the book has profiles of exploration and production companies operating in India, P&NG Rules, details of the fiscal terms and conditions of pre-NELP exploration rounds as well as those of the NELP rounds, Petroleum Tax Guide, Model Production Sharing Contract for NELP as well as for the Coal Bed Methane (CBM) rounds, policy on relinquishments of the acreages and blocks, etc.

    It is not very often that one gets an insight into the pricing policy under which oil and gas sales occur and the book has provided this adequately. A book of this nature is not complete without the petroleum statistics, the growth of Indian petroleum industry at a glance and the status of State-wise petroleum exploration, production and infrastructure development and happily the book has these too."

Return to Geological Sciences Catalogue