SEDIMENTARY BASINS OF INDIA

The sedimentary basins of India, onland and offshore up to the 200m isobath,

have an areal extent of about 1.79 million sq. km. So far, 26 basins have

been recognized and they have been divided into four categories based on

their degree of prospectivity as presently known. In the deep waters beyond

the 200m isobath, the sedimentary area has been estimated to be about 1.35

million sq. km. The total thus works out to 3.14 million sq. km.

Over the last twelve years, there have been significant forward steps in

exploring the hydrocarbon potential of the sedimentary basins of India. The

unexplored area has come down to 15% which was 50% in 1995-96.

Credit for this achievement goes in large measure to the surveys carried out

by DGH in unexplored/poorly explored areas of the country including

Deepwaters off west coast, east coast and in Andaman sea and acreages

awarded for exploration under NELPs. Concerned efforts are continuously

being done to reduce the unexplored area further.

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On the basis of prospectivity basins have been
categorised as follows
Category : Proven Commerical Productivity
Basin Name Onland Area Offshore Area Total
Assam-Arakan 116000 - 116000
Cambay 51000 2500 53500
Cauvery 25000 30000 55000
Krishna-Godawari Offshore 28000 24000 52000
Mumbai Offshore - 116000 116000
Rajasthan 126000 - 126000

Category : Identified Prospectivity

Basin Name Onland Area Offshore Area Total
Kutch 35000 13000 48000
Mahanadi-Nec 55000 14000 69000
Andaman-Nicobar 6000 41000 47000

Category : Prospective Basins

Basin Name Onland Area Offshore Area Total
Bengal 57000 32000 89000
Ganga Valley 186000 - 186000
Himalyan Foreland 30000 - 30000
Kerla-Konkan Lakshdweep - 94000 94000
Saurashtra 52000 28000 80000
Vindhyan 162000 - 162000
Purnea - - 0

Category : Potentially Prospective

Basin Name Onland Area Offshore Area Total
Bastar 5000 - 5000
Bhima Kaladgi 8500 - 8500
Chhattisgarh 32000 - 32000
Cuddapah 39000 - 39000
Deccan Syneclise 273000 - 273000
Karewa 3700 - 3700
Narmada 17000 - 17000
Pranhita Godavari 15000 - 15000
Satpura-S.Rewa-Damodar 46000 - 46000
Spiti Zanskar 22000 - 22000

Onland Area Offshore Area Total

Basin Name
Category : Deep Water Areas Within Eez
Introduction :
Introduction Sedimentary basins refers to a geographical feature exhibiting
subsidence and consequent infilling by sedimentation. On burial they are subjected
to increasing pressure and begin the process of lithification. The sedimentary basins
of India occupy an area of 3.14 million sq. km. of which 3,20,000 sq. km. is in the
offshore up to 200m isobaths. There are total 26 sedimentary basins out of which 13
are important for Hydrocarbon reserves.

Basin classification :
Basin classification Category- I is the petroliferous basins with proved hydrocarbon
reserves and where commercial production has already started. These basins are:
Assam shelf Bombay offshore Cambay Cauvery Tripura Krishna-Godavari

Slide 4:
Category – II comprises basins with occurrence of hydrocarbons but from which no
commercial production has been obtained yet . Category – III comprises basins with
no significant oil & gas shows but which on Geological considerations are considered
to be prospective. Category – IV comprises uncertain prospects. It includes the
basins which bear an analogy with hydrocarbon producing basins in the world.

Assam–Arakan Basin :
Assam–Arakan Basin It includes Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur,
Mizoram and Tripura. The Assam shelf has an extent of 40,000 sq.km. and includes
the Shillong Plateau, the Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Mikir Hills and the upper Assam valley.

THE CAMBAY BASIN :

THE CAMBAY BASIN The Cambay Basin occupies an area of approximately 56,000
sq.km. The Cambay Basin can be divided into six tectonic blocks : Sanchor block
Tharad block Ahmedabad-Mehsana block Tarapur block Broach block Narmada block
The Cambay Shale is the main source rock in this basin.

CAUVERY BASIN :
CAUVERY BASIN The Cauvery Basin, situated 160 to 460 km south of Chennai city,
encompasses an area of 25,000 sq. km. falls in Indian territorial waters. The basin is
subdivided into six sub-basin:- Ariyalur Pondicherry sub-basin. Tranquebar sub-basin
Thannjavur sub-basin Nagapatinam sub-basin Ramnad Palk Bay sub-basin Mannar
sub-basin

BOMBAY OFFSHORE BASIN :

BOMBAY OFFSHORE BASIN It lies in region of Western continental shelf of India and
forms an important hydrocarbon bearing province. It is extending from Saurashtra
Coast in the North to Vengurla arch near Goa in the South covering an area of about
1,20,000 sq.km. up to 200 m isobaths. Tectonically the basin can be subdivided into
Surat depression, Bombay High platform, Ratnagiri block, Shelf margin basin and the
Shelf-edge basement arc. Bombay Offshore Basin is producing nearly 70% oil and
gas of India’s total hydrocarbon production

KRISHNA GODAVARI BASIN :

KRISHNA GODAVARI BASIN It an area of about 15,000 sq. km. of on land and the
East- coast of India , West and North western limits are demarcated by Archaean
outcrops. The basin is divided into six sub-basins. Mandapeta Sub-basin West
Godavari sub-basin East Godavari sub-basin Krishna sub-basin Nizamapatnam sub-
basin K.G.Offshore sub-basin

Slide 16:
K.G. Basin is called the Middle-East of India as it has got such considerable amount
of reserve that if properly utilized can serve the energy needs of not only the whole
of India that also will make us more energy efficient so that we can even export
crude and oil products to other nations.
Conclusion :
Conclusion India has 26 sedimentary basins with an area of 3.14 million sq. km. The
resource base of hydrocarbons is estimated to be about 29 billion tones of oil and oil
equivalent gas (O+OEG). Out of which 6.8 billion tones of in-place hydrocarbon has
so far been established through exploration. The sedimentary basins which has been
explored constitute a total area of 0.52 million sq. kilometers i.e., about 17 per cent
of the entire sedimentary area. There is no commercial production in remaining 83%
of total basin area.