Sugandha Sawhney
With rapid economic growth, energy demand in India has been rising rapidly. As the third largest energy consumer in the world, India continues to face the crisis of serious energy deficiencies, and 80% of our hydrocarbon needs are currently being met with imports. This has lead to cause severe pressure on the economy, forcing the Government to look for alternatives to ease the pressure on the country’s exchequer.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at an event held in Delhi, in March, set an arduous challenge for the oil and gas companies in the country, which was to cut down on the oil imports by 10% from the current figure of 77% before the year 2020, and to bridge the gap with the increase in domestic production.
One such alternative which has come under the scanner of the Indian Government is the technique of “Hydraulic Fracturing” popularly known as “Fracking.” The government has already started to warm up to the idea, issuing its maiden shale gas policy in October last year. Private energy firms are prohibited from engaging in shale gas exploration, allowing only the National Oil Companies (NOC’S) such as Oil India Limited (OIL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for shale gas & oil exploration and exploitation.
What is Hydraulic Fracturing? Why has it been such a bone of contention with the environmentalist?
Hydraulic fracturing also known as fracking is a technique of well simulation designed for recovering gas and oil from shale rock. Began as an experiment in 1947, it took over the US in the 1950’s, for the extraction of natural gas and oil with low permeability and for having economical viability.
The United States leads the shale revolution with brisk progress in area of oil and gas technology; now has the western world moving towards energy self-sufficiency, leading to drop in the oil prices in international market. These unconventional oil producers are giving the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) a run for their money, causing a crackdown on their hegemony. Many other countries like Canada, Australia and South Africa, rich in natural oil and gas reserves too have followed suit.
Hydraulic fracking is the process used to release energy resources trapped in the depths. It involves the construction of deep wells and then pushing three to four million gallons of water per-well, mixed with sand and chemicals like benzene, xylene, and others. The liquid is then injected into the earth creating fissures in the shale, which allows for the gas to flow out to the head of the well. Among them benzene is highly carcinogenic and known to be causing diseases like cancer and neurological disorders. The fact that the water pushed into the well is eventually soaked into the earth surface is where the real danger lies, which threatens to contaminate subterranean aquifers and create a local water crisis. Other risks and concerns related to fracking are – Methane pollution and its impact on climate change, Air pollution impact, Exposure to toxic chemicals, Blowouts due to gas explosion, Waste disposal, Large volume water use in water-deficient regions, Fracking-induced earthquakes, Workplace safety, Infrastructure degradation.
Why is the Indian government keen on introducing fracking?
India is estimated to hold 63 trillion cubic feet of recoverable shale gas. Initial assessments by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and other energy companies indicate that at least six other Indian sedimentary basins may have commercial potential. Besides the Krishna Godavari (KG) basin, which extends from Andhra Pradesh into the Bay of Bengal on India’s east coast and is already producing natural gas, other potential shale gas deposit sites include Cambay in western Gujarat state, Cauvery in the southern Deccan plateau, Assam-Arakan in the northeast, Gondawana in central India, Raghavapuram shale on India’s eastern coast and the Gangetic basin, which takes in the Damodar sub-basin of West Bengal.
The Government in keen on exploiting those reserves which if proven viable, India may end up able to cover its steadily increasing energy demand and even become natural oil and gas exporter.
Oil exploration in Jammu & Kashmir –
Discovery of oil reserves in the Pakistan-administered Kashmir of Gilgit-Baltistan, ONGC too has intensified its exploration in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The senior officers stated that their studies indicated chances of huge oil and gas reserves on the 100-km Bhimbaar gali-Naushera belt in Jammu’s Poonch and Rajauri districts. Oil exploration is a major challenge in these areas due to its proximity to the border. The Pakistani troops fire regularly on Indian positions making exploration a daunting task.
Challenges and concerns Fracking faces in India-
The policy did not settle well with the environmentalists and has raised intense debate between them and the policy makers. The use of shale resources on environmental grounds is also opposed by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). About 86 percent of available water in India is necessary for agriculture and therefore with three to four million gallons of water used in per shale well, agriculture would be deprived of water. It has been estimated that in the next 12 to 15 years the consumption of water will rise by 50 percent whilst its supply will diminish by 5-10 percent. According to TERI, India is heading towards water scarcity very rapidly and by 2030 all of its basins will experience water shortage. Also, the shale gas explored in the north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland is inside virgin forests and on young hill formations. Environmentalists have objected to fracking because of the damage to forest cover and possible contamination of ground water.
Fracking is controversial not only because of its environmental implication, but also due to limping legal system. There is no specific regulatory framework developed by the Government to administer the activity of exploration of shale gas. The policy and model contract is not comprehensive, leaving room for loopholes. This gives companies a chance to function in an ambiguous manner and the less prone to face the consequences of their actions.
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