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The Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDI) has submitted data for six shale gas blocks to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), paving the way for the government to auction them.
"Out of the first six shale gas block data we submitted with DGH, two blocks at Ranigunj have turned out to be most promising in terms of commercial production prospects," CMPDI chairman and managing director A K Debnath said. The two blocks in Ranigunj have a potential of 50 bcm, he said.
He said CMPDI, a Coal India subsidiary, was entrusted by DGH for the data and it received Rs 40 crore as fees.
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The government is planning to auction shale gas blocks to private firms and allow PSUs to explore the resource on nomination basis coal and gas blocks held by PSUs.
Shale gas is a non-conventional natural gas found in non-porous rocks and required fracking technology for extraction similar to the extraction of gas between coal seams in India.
The unconventional gas could help India to bolster its energy security.
But, environmentalists have warned about its environmental impact mainly on water.
Meanwhile, Debnath told PTI that CMPDI is planning to install solar panels in open cast mines of Coal India for which it would prepare a road map.
"We are implementing a pilot at CMPDI and after that we see potential for solar power in open cast mines," he said.
