An Industry interaction session on Special Coal Bed Methane Bid Round – 2022 was held on 14th Feb 2023 at Raipur. The participation was from State Government departments like industries, Mineral Resources Department, State Power generation company and private sector mining players in Chhattisgarh. The session was Chaired by Shri. Gautam Sinha, Executive Director, Strategy & Planning, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons along with Shri. Jai Prakash Maurya, Joint Secretary , Mineral resource Department. The industry players like Vedanta, Adani, Hindalco, National Mineral Development Corporation, Jindal Steel & Power Limited, Shri Bajrang Power and Ispat, Sarda Energy and many others were present for the interactions for exploration, development and strategizing the coal bed methane extraction in the state of Chhattisgarh.
Audience were apprised that production of CBM gas in the country is currently about 2 Million Cubic Metres per day. With prolific CBM resources and vast coalfield, Chhattisgarh may be an important base for CBM industry, which can be developed by bringing in CBM acreages. Under Special CBM Bid Round-2022, three offered CBM Blocks fall in Chhattisgarh covering an area of around 1086 Sq. Km.
Representatives of Industries and Mineral Resource Department during Investors’ Meet conveyed the messages that Govt of Chhattisgarh in pursuant to ‘Investor Friendly Environment’ is focused to create and improve ease of doing business in the State. This is being facilitated by providing accelerated and time bound grant of various licenses, permissions & approvals, promoting industrial development and facilitating new investments as well as by simplifying the regulatory framework by reducing procedural requirements and rationalizing documents. It was also emphasized that CBM is the need of the hour as a clean energy source to fuel the economy and support the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Audience were also informed about the importance of strategic and high value minerals present in the state of Chhattisgarh like lithium, vanadium, copper, tin, Base metals, etc which are very strategic in nature for boosting the Indian economy.
It was informed during the meet by DGH that Geoscientific Data for fields on offer are being showcased through National Data Repository’s (NDR) data rooms with interpretation facilities which would assist the potential bidders in making informed decisions. Salient features of SCBM 2022 i.e. Prior experience in Oil and Gas sector NOT mandatory, all blocks in Category-III basin i.e. no revenue sharing till windfall gain,single state carving out of block for administrative ease, single License for Conventional & Un-conventional Hydrocarbons, full Marketing and Pricing Freedom for Gas produced were also deliberated in detail during meet.
