With the global energy sector moving away from crude oil toward renewable energy sources, the state geology and mining (G&M) department has said that Nagaland has a window period of around 35-40 years to utilise crude oil reserve in the state.
According to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Nagaland has estimated reserve of 554 million tonnes of oil and natural gas. Delivering welcome address at the 44th state geological programming board (SGPB) meeting in the conference hall of directorate of G&M here on Friday, D&M additional director, Dr. Kenyelo Rengma, stated that with the emergence of alternate source of energy, in the form of solar energy, lithium battery, hydrogen, etc, in the coming few years, price and value of crude oil and gas would come down.
Pointing out that minerals were vital to support economic growth and functioning of modern society, Dr.Rengma said the demand for minerals were increasing as global population expand. He said minerals were being used in greater range of application particularly associated with deployment of new technologies.
The additional director asserted that reducing energy consumption and breaking current link between metal production and greenhouse gas emissions were among the greater challenges to secure sustainable mineral supply. However, he said that widespread adoption of low carbon mineral extraction technologies, underpinned by multidisciplinary research, and increased global utilization of low carbon energy sources, would allow those challenges to be met.
In addition to using minerals in far greater quantities, Dr.Rengma said that modern technology employed considerably more diverse suite of metals. He cited the example of a modern computer chip containing greater than half of the elements in the periodic table.
He said that proliferation of electronic devices had caused rate of production of some metals such as lithium, cobalt, platinum-group metals, antimony, rare earth elements and tungsten, to increase dramatically since the 1980s. Dr. Rengma said that greater demand and higher prices for those commodities were reflected in increased global exploration activity of those metals.
In Nagaland, he said that some of those metals were reported, adding that the department was concentrating in investigation to quantify the reserves estimate. On crude oil, he stated if the state continued with the current rate of extraction, all fossil fuels would be depleted by 2060. He pointed out that as of August 27, 2024, the world’s crude oil production was 81.76 million barrels per day.
He said that petroleum and natural gas exploration and development was being regulated under the state’s own legal framework, “Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulations and Rules 2012”.
He expressed hope that the meeting would boost and encourage the department.
Delivering keynote address, commissioner and secretary, G&M, John Kevi Angami, supplemented Rengma’s statement and urged the department to take one step forward to work out modalities and to bring out benefit of the state through the department.
Meanwhile, speaking to media persons after the first session, ONGC group general manager, TK Mathuria, said that the corporation wanted to carry out activities in the state but needed the support from the state government. He said that security and forest clearance were the main issues impeding exploration.
With the exploration of more sites, he said ONGC would be able to provide royalties to the state government, employment opportunities for land owners and locals, development in the area etc, as part of the CSR. Further, Mathuria stated that ONGC has explored a total of 36 oil wells.
Asked about time frame for the state to explore oil and gas before the value comes down, he opined that the price value of oil would be down in the next 10 to 15 years. Earlier, power point presentation on “Magnetite & Associated critical metals in Naga Ophiolite Belt” was given by HoD, dept of geology, NU, Merima Campus, Prof. SK Singh, and “Activities of Oil and has in the state”, by chief manager, ONGC Jorhat, RP Jakhmola.
Meanwhile, chemical laboratory of the department, with financial aid from National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET), New Delhi, has procured WD-XRF machine and accessories such as the vibratory cup mill, pulverizer and core splitter, which was officially inaugurated by commissioner and secretary, John Kevi Angami, on Friday.
Wavelength Dispersive-X-Ray Fluorescence (WD-XRF) machine is a highly advanced, automated, X-ray instrument used to determine elemental composition of rocks, minerals and sediments.