India might hold world's second largest gas hydrate reserves

When petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently said India might well have hydrocarbon reserves to serve the country for 300 years, it raised many eyebrows.

However, according to the latest estimates of the US Geological Survey, we have the second largest gas hydrate reserves after America. The Krishna-Godavari (KG), Cauvery and Kerala basins alone contributing 100-130 trillion cubic feet of estimated reserves.

In a meeting on the National Gas Hydrate Programme (NGHP) last month, the recent estimates were discussed. The government has given a nod to the third stage of the ambitious programme. “We have firmed up plans for NGHP-3. The pilot testing