https://www.miningweekly.com
Coal|Energy|Exploration|Gas|Hydrocarbons|Infrastructure|Projects|Resources|Surface|Drilling|Infrastructure
Coal|Energy|Exploration|Gas|Hydrocarbons|Infrastructure|Projects|Resources|Surface|Drilling|Infrastructure
coal|energy|exploration|gas|hydrocarbons|infrastructure|projects|resources|surface|drilling|infrastructure

GEECL establishes viable shale gas reserves as its CBM blocks

16th November 2018

By: Ajoy K Das

Creamer Media Correspondent

     

Font size: - +

KOLKATA (miningweekly.com) – India’s Great Eastern Energy Corporation Limited (GEECL), an integrated producer of coalbed methane (CBM), will diversify its production of non-conventional hydrocarbons after establishing shale gas reserves in coal block assets in its fold.

GEECL announced in a statement that it had been able to establish certified potential of 3.51-trillion cubic feet (tcf) of shale gas at its operational CBM blocks at Raniganj in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.

“These reserves have been certified by independent reserve engineers, Advanced Resources International (ARI), and are in addition to 2.62-trillion tcf of CBM,” GEECL CEO Prashant Modi said.

The company would start drilling pilot wells at points of shale gas reserves across the coal blocks and based on reports of the pilot wells, GEECL would draw up an investment plan for extraction of shale gas, which would add to the company’s portfolio of non-conventional hydrocarbon production, he said, adding the gestation period from drilling of pilot wells to production could be two years.

Citing a report prepared by ARI, Modi said that at the lower end, reserves had been estimated at 1.4-trillion tcf and 6.63-trillion tcf at the highest end, while the most feasible recoverable reserves had been pegged at 3.51-trillion tcf.

Assuming recoverable reserves at the highest end, the new discovery would enable GEECL to ramp up its total production of non-conventional hydrocarbons at 9.25-tcf, comprising 6.63-tcf of shale and 2.62 tcf of CBM.

However, industry analysts said that as per global benchmarks about 30% of shale gas reserves could be economically extracted.

GEECL currently produces about 0.55 standard cubic meters of CBM from 155 wells across its Raniganj blocks and is targeting ramping this to 2.5-million standard cubic meters from 500 wells over the next seven years.

GEECL’s diversification of non-conventional hydrocarbons from its existing blocks received a boost from a recent government relaxation of exploration and production (E&P) policy wherein a coal block leasee is allowed to extract all kinds of hydrocarbons from a single coal block without having to apply for fresh licences for each energy gas, as earlier.

“We believe that shale gas resources can be explored and developed cost effectively in tandem with our ongoing CBM development programme through sharing of surface and infrastructure facilities already in place. We are currently planning for initial exploration for exploiting our shale discovery and will make further investment announcements shortly,” Modi said.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, India’s shale gas reserves have been estimated at 63 tcf.

However, GEECL’s discovery and plans for commercial development were the first by any E&P company in India, with national E&P major ONGC, which had been allocated several coal blocks, having earlier abandoned shale gas projects for various reasons.

 

Edited by Mariaan Webb
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

Showroom

Stewarts & Lloyds
Stewarts & Lloyds

Stewarts & Lloyds today supplies steel and tube, pipe and fittings, valves, pumps, irrigation, fencing, profiling and roofing products. The cash...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East

Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Photo of Martin Creamer
On-The-Air (15/03/2024)
15th March 2024 By: Martin Creamer
Gold, hydrogen, mining boost make headlines
Gold, hydrogen, mining boost make headlines
15th March 2024
Magazine round up | 15 March 2024
Magazine round up | 15 March 2024
15th March 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.085 0.118s - 109pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now