Petroleum: Petroleum is one of the most important sources of energy. It is a driving force for all vehicles. All modern production depends on the petroleum.
Modernization and industrialization are the key reasons for extremely high demand of petroleum and petroleum products.
Development also boosts transportation. This results in rise in number of private and public vehicles which in turn continuously increases the demand for petroleum.
Petroleum in India:
- Owing to a very large population, fast development and low petroleum reserves, India has to depend heavily on foreign countries for importing petroleum from them.
- In India, oil reserves were first found in Assam.
- Realizing the importance of petroleum for economic development, ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Commission) was set up in 1956. Later, in 1993, government converted into corporation and since then it is known as Oil and
Natural Gas Corporation.
- Through ONGC, the Government has tried hard to produce petroleum products on a large scale from across India.
- In Gujarat, petroleum resources have been discovered in Kadi, Kalol, Ankleshwar, etc.
- ONGC has set-up an off-shore drilling platform at Bombay High near Mumbai to drill petroleum from sea.
Limitations:
- In spite of all these efforts, India’s contribution in petroleum production is just 0.4% of the total world production.
- The present world production and a continuous rise in demand shows that the petroleum reserves will be able to meet the world demand only for limited years. Hence, the countries of the world have seriously started thinking to make use of alternative energy sources. India has also initiated several research programmes to find out alternative means of petroleum.
- India has started using natural gas as an alternative fuel. It is found near the regions of petroleum.
- Natural gas is mainly used in thermal power stations, cooking gas and as . fuel for running vehicles.
- India produces about 0.5% natural gas of the total world production.
A big advantage of natural gas is that does not pollute the environment like petroleum. Hence, government is trying to promote it more and more in vehicles too.
