Coal bed methane production in India to reach 4 MMSCMD by 2016-17

Production of coal bed methane (CBM) in the country is estimated to reach 4 million standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd) by the year 2016-17 against the current level of production of 0.23 mmscmd in 2011-12, minister of state for petroleum and natural gas R P N Singh informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

He said the government has so far awarded exploration licences for a total 33 blocks in order to increase production of CBM in the country.

Total commercial production of CBM in the country during 2011-12 (up to February 2012) stood at 74.833 million standard cubic meter (mmscm) which is much less as compared to 19,971.253 mmscm natural gas produced from conventional sources under production sharing contract (PSC) regime, he said.

The minister also said that the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) has reported that the average natural gas production from D1, D3 and MA fields of the block KG-DWN-98/3 operated by the consortium of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Niko Resources Limited (NIKO) stood at 35.57 mmscmd in February 2012 against the planned production of 70.38 mmscmd in the year (2011-12) as per approved field development plans.

The minister also stated that the issue of falling gas production in KG-D6 block has been deliberated in various technical committee meetings held between contractor(s) and DGH, including the field visit by DGH technical team to ascertain the reasons for less gas production. The management committee (comprising of representatives of GoI/DGH and Contractor (s)) has also examined the issue from time to time. The major reasons for fall in gas production are as under:

• Six out of total 18 gas producers put on production in D1 and D3 fields have ceased to flow due to water loading/and ingress in the wells.
• One oil/gas producer in MA field out of 6 oil/gas producers has ceased to flow due to water loading in well.
• Non-drilling of gas producers in D1 and D3 by the contractor(s) in line with the approved AIDP. So far, 18 producers have been drilled, completed and connected as against 31 producers by 31 March 2012 as per approved AIDP.

He said the contractor has been advised to drill more gas producers in D1 & D3 gas fields as well as adopt appropriate remedial measures such as wells intervention in D1 & D3 and MA fields to revive the sick wells in order to achieve the gas production in line with approved FDP.

The contractor has drilled four more wells in D1 & D3 which are yet to be completed or connected. Optimised field development plan for four other gas discoveries (D-2,6,19 &22) in this block has been approved in January2012, he said.