Jaipur, Aug 31 (IANS) Rajasthan will increase crude oil production to 80,000 barrels per day in a phased manner by adopting the latest extraction technologies, Additional Chief Secretary (Mines and Petroleum) Aparna Arora said on Monday.
At present, the state produces approximately 51,000–52,000 barrels of crude oil daily. To enhance output, oil‑producing companies will deploy the Alkali Surfactant Polymer (ASP) technique in the Barmer‑Sanchore and Jaisalmer basins, and the Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS) technique in the Bikaner‑Nagaur basin.
Arora said 12 petroleum leases and 12 petroleum exploration licences are currently active in Rajasthan’s petroleum sector. Natural gas production stands at around 2.6–2.8 MMSCMD. Reviewing progress of the petroleum and City Gas Distribution (CGD) sectors at the Secretariat, she noted that Rajasthan ranks second in onshore natural gas production and third in crude oil production nationally.
She added that the HRRL Rajasthan Refinery, with a refining capacity of 9 MMTPA, will be capable of processing 1.5 million tonnes of crude oil produced within the state. She emphasised the need to ensure that Rajasthan’s crude oil is refined locally.
On CGD progress, Arora said a target of establishing 60 CNG stations has been set for the current financial year, of which 23 are already operational. She directed officials to ensure the target is achieved by December and stressed accelerating Domestic Piped Natural Gas (DPNG) connections, particularly in multi‑storey residential buildings.
Petroleum Director Avadhesh Singh informed the meeting that companies including Cairn Vedanta, Oil India, ONGC and Focus Energy are engaged in crude oil and natural gas exploration and production in Rajasthan. RSGL Managing Director Vinay Patni provided updates on CGD operations.
The meeting was attended by Special Secretary (Mines) Namrata Vrishni, Deputy Secretary Rakesh Kumar, OSD Anuj Saxena, Joint Director (Petroleum) Dilip Raj Sharma, and Deputy Directors Rohit Mallah, Sushil Kumar Hooda, Mohan Kumawat and Ankit Soni.
–IANS
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