It is said that India has substantial reserves of shale oil and gas, which can feed the needs of the country for quarter century. However, tapping of the resource does not appear to be high on the agenda. Discuss critically the availability and issues involved.

Theme

T36 Oil & gas: global distribution, shale, refineries

What UPSC asks in this theme

UPSC asks about world distribution of oil (on-shore vs off-shore), multi-dimensional impacts of uneven distribution, shale gas in India, and why refineries are located away from oil fields.

What to cover

• Sedimentary basins and off-shore continental shelves
• Geopolitics of uneven oil distribution
• Shale gas: reserves, water and technology constraints
• Refinery location: market, port, pipelines

Writing the answer

• Connect geography to economic and geopolitical consequences

These notes are for the whole theme, built from all 4 of its PYQs. UPSC does not publish model answers.