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Basins and Categories

 
Sedimentary Basins of India
 
There are 26 sedimentary basins in India, covering a
total area of 3.4 million square kilometer. The area is
spread across onland, shallow water up to 400 meter
water depth and deepwater farther up to Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ). Of the total sedimentary area,
49% of total area is located onland, 12% in shallow
water and 39% in the deepwater area. There are 16
onland basins, 7 located both onland and o몭shore
and 3 completely o몭shore. Tectonically, these basins
are classi몭ed into 3 groups, based on origin from
rifting (intra-cratonic and peri-cratonic), plate collision
and crustal sag.
 
 
These basins are divided into three categories based
on maturity of hydrocarbon resources as under:
 
• Category-I: Basins, which have reserves and already
producing.
• Category-II: Basins, which have contingent
resources pending commercial production
• Category-III Basins, which have prospective
resources awaiting discovery
 
 
Based on conventional resource potential, 7 basins
are grouped under Category-I covering 30% of total
basinal area and holding 85% of the total unrisked
conventional hydrocarbon in-place of 41.8 billion ton
oil and oil-equivalent gas. These 7 basins are namely
Krishna-Godavari (KG), Mumbai O몭shore, Assam
Shelf, Rajasthan, Cauvery, Assam-Arakan Fold Belt
and Cambay. These basins are fairly appraised to the
extent of 47% of country’s total appraised area (1.6
million square kilometer) with 65% of country’s total
active operational area (0.3 million square kilometer).
 
 
Similarly, Category-II basins cover 23% of total basinal
area, holding 9% of the total hydrocarbon in-place.
Five basins fall in this category and those are namely
Saurashtra, Kutch, Vindhyan, Mahanadi and
Andaman. These basins are moderately appraised to
the extent of 22% of country’s total appraised area
with 26% of country’s total active operational area.
 
 
Further, Category-III basins cover 47% of total basinal
area, holding 6% of the total hydrocarbon in-place.
Fourteen basins fall in this category and those are
namely Kerala-Konkan, Bengal-Purnea, Ganga-
Punjab, Pranhita-Godavari(PG), Satpura-South Rewa-
Damodar, Himalyan Foreland, Chattisgarh, Narmada,
Spiti-Zanskar, Deccan Syneclise, Cuddapah, Karewa,
Bhima-Kaladgi, and Bastar. These basins are
appraised to the extent of 31% of country’s total
appraised area with 9% of country’s total active
operational area.
 
 
The grouping of the basins under the category is
dynamic, a Category III basin can be upgraded to II in
case there is a discovery (recent instance of Bengal-
Purnea basin) or Category II to I, if discoveries are
developed for commercial production (Kutch/
Saurashtra basin could be the next as few FDPs
already approved). For unconventional resources, the
above category will have completely di몭erent basin
grouping. For example, CBM gas is currently
produced from Damodar sub-basin of Satpura-South
Rewa-Damodar basin, which is a Category III basin for
conventional resources, however by virtue of
commercial gas production, the basin will be deemed
Category I for unconventional resources.
 
 
Under redrafted Revenue Sharing Contract for
Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy,
Contractors, operating in Category II and Category III
basins for respective conventional and
unconventional resources are now exempt of
revenue sharing with the government.
 
 
 
CATEGORIZATION OF INDIAN SEDIMENTARY BASINS
BASED ON MATURITY OF CONVENTIONAL
RESOURCES
 
 
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Page Last Update :: 09/08/2023
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