The Cabinet will take up the crucial shale gas exploration policy in two weeks, Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily said Sunday
"A draft shale oil and gas policy was placed in the public domain. A shale gas policy will go to the cabinet in two weeks," Moily said while addressing the National Editors Conference here.
Emphasising the importance of shale gas if India is to achieve a 50 percent reduction in its crude oil imports by 2020, the petroleum minister pointed out how shale gas exploration in six years had transformed the energy scenario in the United States.
"Even China in these six years (2005-11) has made much progress in shale gas development. They have done it in six years... we can also do that," Moily said.
The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons has taken steps to identify the prospective areas for shale gas exploration.
India's shale gas formations are spread over several sedimentary basins like the Cambay and Krishna-Godavari, and onland in the Cauvery basin.
The commercial exploitation of shale gas in the country awaits the government's shale oil and gas policy.