Explain the significance of petroleum as major source of energy and describe its distribution in India.
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Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Explaining the Significance of Petroleum (3 Marks):
Petroleum (crude oil) is often referred to as “liquid gold” due to its indispensable role in the modern global economy:
• High-Concentration Energy Source: It is a highly concentrated, portable, and efficient source of energy. It is the lifeblood of modern mechanical transport, acting as the primary fuel source for road vehicles, railway locomotives, ships, and aviation (Aviation Turbine Fuel).
• Vital Industrial Feedstock: Apart from fuel, crude oil is processed in refineries to yield a massive range of petrochemical by-products. It acts as the raw material for synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon), plastics, synthetic rubber, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, dyes, synthetic detergents, paraffin wax, and asphalt.
• Clean Burning and Lubrication: Compared to coal, petroleum burns cleaner, has a higher calorific value, and is easier to handle through pipelines. It also provides essential lubricants for all types of industrial machinery, preventing friction and wear.
Step 2: Geological Occurrence of Petroleum in India:
Geologically, petroleum deposits in India are associated with anticlines, domes, and fault traps in the sedimentary rock formations of the Tertiary age (about $10$ to $60$ million years old).
Step 3: Describing the Distribution of Petroleum in India (2 Marks):
Petroleum distribution is concentrated in specific sedimentary basins:
• Western Offshore Fields: This is the highest-producing region in the country.
• Mumbai High: Located $176$ km off the Mumbai coast in the Arabian Sea, discovered in $1973$. It is India's largest oil-producing field.
• Bassein: Located south of Mumbai High, contains massive reserves of oil and natural gas.
• Assam (North-Eastern Region): This is the oldest oil-producing region in India. The major fields are:
• Digboi: The oldest active oil field and refinery town in India.
• Naharkatiya and Moran-Hugrijan: Located near the Brahmaputra River valley.
• Gujarat Plain Region: Major onshore fields include:
• Ankleshwar: The most important onshore oil field in Gujarat.
• Kalol, Nawagam, Mehsana, Lunej, and Kosamba.
• Rajasthan (Barmer Basin): A highly significant onshore discovery containing major producing fields: Mangala, Aishwarya, and Bhagyam.
• Eastern Coast Basins: Promising deep-water and shallow-water discoveries have been made in the Krishna-Godavari and Cauvery river basins.
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