Shale Gas Prospects of Cambay Basin, India

Mishra, Snigdharani; Dayal, Anurodh M.; Tiwari, Devleena M.; Patil, Datatray J.

The growing demand and consequential depletion of the conventional energy resources is driving way forward to explore the unconventional sources of energy, and shale gas plays have emerged as a promising alternative. The petroliferous Cambay basin in western India with interbeded carbonaceous shales in its thick Tertiary sequence forms a potential shale gas prospect. Fine grained, clastic and organic-rich Cambay shales (TOC ~ 2-6%) have sourced the oil and gas for the basin. The upper Paleocene to lower Pliocene shale formations have varied thickness from 50 to 70m over structural highs like Mehsana horst, Ankleshwar high and 500- 2000 m in Hazira, Broach, Tankari, Tarapur and Patan depressions [1].

The quality, quantity and type of organic matter play important role in the generation of the shale gas. In the present study, shale formations associated with the lignite mines in Gujarat have been assessed for their gas generation potential. The study area comprises the Tadeshkwar, Rajpardi, Panandhro, Madh and Surkha Lignite Mines of Surat, Bharuch, Kutch, Bhuj and Bhavnagar districts, respectively. The source rock potentially of the shales based on organic matter content and isotopic signatures would be presented and discussed in light of the basinal geology.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90163©2013AAPG 2013 Annual Convention and Exhibition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 19-22, 2013