KG Basin holds massive reserves of methane fuel: ARI

New Delhi: The Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin holds a massive reserve of methane hydrate and a rich source of cleaner natural gas, claims a study by the Pune-based Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) of the science & technology ministry.

Flagging the study, the ministry on Saturday said, “Even the lowest estimate of methane present in the methane hydrates in the

KG basin

is twice that of all fossil fuel reserves available worldwide.”

Methane is a cleaner and economical fuel. Methane hydrate is formed when hydrogen-bonded water and methane gas come into contact at high pressures and low temperatures in oceans. It is estimated that one cubic meter of methane hydrate contains 160-180 cubic meters of methane.

Researchers at ARI claimed to have found that the methane hydrate deposits located in the KG basin are of biogenic origin. “The massive methane hydrate deposits of biogenic origin in the KG basin and near the coast of Andaman and Mahanadi make it necessary to study the associated methanogenic community,” said Vikram B Lanjekar, principal investigator of the study.

The study, using molecular and culturing techniques, revealed maximum methanogenic diversity in the KG basin, which is one of the prominent reasons to confirm it to be the extreme source of biogenic methane in comparison to the Andaman and Mahanadi basins.

The sediment samples associated with methane hydrate deposits from KG, Andaman, and Mahanadi basin were provided to the ARI researchers for this study by the Gas Hydrate Research & Technology Centre (GHRTC), ONGC, Maharashtra.