India's Hydrocarbon Outlook – 2022-2023

69 DGH: 3 DECADES OF UNLOCKING INDIA'S HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL Ganga-Punjab is a Category III basin, and it has an area of 304,000 sq. km. which is entirely onland. In the basin, 2 plays are present within Pre-Cambrian and Mid Miocene. The Indo-Gangetic plain, which is the extensive alluvial plain of Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra rivers and their tributaries separate the Himalayan range from peninsular India. Ganga valley and Punjab plain are the integral part of Indo-Gangetic plain, representing the river Ganga and Indus catchment area respectively. Ganga-Punjab basin is covered by thick alluvium, which conceals the pre-collisional (Indo-Eurasian plates Proterozoic and post-collisional Tertiary records. The pre-collisional setup of Indian passive margin is of considerable importance for better understanding of the tectono- sedimentary evolution of the Proterozoic sediments of Ganga-Punjab basin. Post-collision flexuring of the Indian lithosphere and thrust fold loading produced the Himalayan peripheral foreland in Early Miocene. The basin expanded during Middle Miocene and attained its present configuration in Late Quaternary. The exploration in the Ganga-Punjab basin started in late 1950.The aeromagnetic survey was carried out in the year 1956. During 1957- 58, regional single-fold seismic reflection and aeromagnetic surveys followed by acquisition and processing (AP) of 2D seismic data and exploratory drilling. Hydrocarbon discovery in adjoining Vindhyan basin in well Nohta-2 from Paleo-Proterozoic unconventional Rohtas play spurred the exploration efforts. In 2006, 2,500-station GM data was acquired in Gandak depression of Ganga sub-basin. The aeromagnetic andGMdatawere also acquiredby M/s Cairn in Madhubani depression during 2007. The Ganga Basin was covered by 2D seismic surveys under various campaigns. The first 2D seismic survey was carried out by M/s ONGC in the year 1978 in the Gandak depression of the Ganga Basin. In 1980’s most of the 2D data was acquired in the Raxual, Madhubani and Bettiah area. Later, 2D seismic survey was conducted in the Sarda depression and 12/24/48/60-fold data was acquired. In Madhubani depression, M/s Cairn acquired 2D seismic data. M/s OIL acquired 2D seismic data in Kashipur block of Sarda depression. Till date, only two 3D seismic campaigns were carried out by M/s ONGC in Gandak depression. 15. GANGA-PUNJAB BASIN DGH Internal DGH Archive refraction data was acquired. M/s ONGC started exploration in the year 1978-79 in the Gandak depression of the Ganga sub basin. Exploration began with field mapping, gravity-magnetic and