India’s surging energy demand has brought its import dependency into sharp focus, with oil imports now at 87.7% and natural gas imports playing an essential role in meeting the domestic needs. While India holds vast untapped reserves of unconventional hydrocarbons, including shale gas, coal bed methane (CBM), and gas hydrates, the full potential of these resources remains largely unrealized.

Despite forward-looking policies such as the Unconventional Hydrocarbon Policy and updates to the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), multiple challenges such as complex regulatory requirements, delayed approvals, and limited operational flexibility continue to hinder production. Significant challenges also remain, particularly around environmental impact of techniques like hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and complex management of CBM extraction alongside coal mining . Issues such as the non-alignment of environmental clearances with mining leases, the exclusion of natural gas from GST framework, and outdated contract provisions further complicate the pathway to maximizing domestic production.

To address these critical bottlenecks, there is a pressing need for streamlined regulations and targeted policy reforms. Key areas of improvement include allowing self-certification to simplify compliance processes, extending mining leases to align with the economic life of the fields, and including natural gas within the GST framework to create a more cohesive tax regime.

In light of these pressing issues, FICCI is organizing a Conference on “Unlocking India’s Unconventional Hydrocarbon Potential: Strengthening the Upstream Exploration Ecosystem & Supply Chains on Dec 4, 2024 at FICCI Federation House, New Delhi. This event will bring together government representatives, industry experts, and key stakeholders to discuss actionable solutions for strengthening India’s unconventional hydrocarbon sector. Through focused dialogue on regulatory and policy reforms, the programme aims to foster an environment that supports increased domestic production, bolster energy security, and reduce reliance on imports by harnessing the untapped potential of India’s unconventional resources.

a) Knowledge Sharing on Unconventional Hydrocarbons E&P workflow, technology imperatives and critical issues involved from reputed domain experts both international & national

b) Knowledge Sharing by NOCs (National Oil Companies) and Private companies on their national & international unconventional hydrocarbons exploration activities/experiences.

c) Incentives and policy reforms to promote the Unconventional exploration activities.

d) Foster collaborative workflow in areas of UCH especially Shale Oil & Gas for optimal development of the resources in the Country.

(i) Government and state regulatory bodies

(ii) Geoscientists from Oil and Gas industry of India,

(iii) Technical domain experts,

(iv) Technology players

(v) E&P service providers

(vi) Oil & Field services companies

(vii) Banks and financial institutions

(viii) Consultants,

(ix) Survey organisations

(x) Law firms

(xi) Academic and Research representatives