Petroleum Reserves

The Gulf region has two -third of the world's petroleum reserves. While Saudi Arabia has very high reserves, Russia, Venezuela, Mexico, Libya and Nigeria too are richly endowed with it. If the reserves of all these countries were to be added together, they would comprise 90% of all known oil reserves.

While India has only 0.4 of the reserves, our consumption reads 2.8% of the soil produced in the world every year. To fill up the gap in supply and demand, we get the oil from the international market. The demand continues to grow necessitating more imports every year.

In Andhra Pradesh, crude oil has been discovered in the Krishna -Godavari basin and is also being extracted now. In our country, we have oil reserves in Assam and Maharashtra.

Petroleum extraction

Petroleum is extracted through a long process. Crude oil is heated up to 400 degrees centigrade and above in a process called fractional distillation.

At the lowest level, 40 degrees, we obtain Liquefied Petroleum Gas [LPG]; at 40- 170 degrees, we find petrol vapors; at 170 -250 degrees, kerosene id farmed; between 250 and 350, diesel is obtained and between 350 -450 degrees, engine oil is obtained. At 400 degrees we get paraffin.

LPG gas has no smell. However, since its leakage could lead to accidents, a gas called mercaptan that has a bad odour, is added to LPG make it easily detectable.

Natural gas is also found along with oil in the wells, it contains methane. When compressed it turns to compressed natural Gas [CNG]. It does not cause pollution. In New Delhi, all transport vehicles statutorily run on CNG.

Bio -fuelled buses

The first bio- fuelled buses have hit the road Andhra Pradesh. They use 20% bio fuel obtained from the Pongamia tree and the remaining 80% is diesel the buses ply within the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The speed and pickup are the same, but they emit less smoke. The pollution control board has declared this green bus to be 20% less polluting the ordinary buses.

In more such buses are to be seen on our roads, it is necessary to produce a lot of this seed oil from the Pongamia and other trees that can yield fruit seven to ten years and where there is a good water supply, they can be productive for the next seventy years or so. Bio fuels besides reducing vehicular pollution make our country less dependent on oil imports. Bio fuel is popularly known as bio diesel.