Geography · Ch 13 — Mineral and Energy Resources
Petroleum
Petroleum
Crude petroleum is a mixture of hydrocarbons that occur in both liquid and gaseous states. Its chemical composition, colour, and specific gravity vary from one deposit to another. It is the primary fuel for all internal combustion engines — in automobiles, railways, and aircraft. Beyond its direct use as fuel, petroleum yields numerous by-products that are vital to modern industry.
Natural gas, which often occurs with petroleum, is a clean fuel that does not leave any ash on burning. It is used as a domestic and industrial fuel, in the power sector to generate electricity, for heating in industries, and as a raw material in chemical, petrochemical, and fertiliser industries. With the expansion of gas infrastructure and local city gas distribution networks, natural gas is emerging as a preferred transport fuel (CNG — Compressed Natural Gas) and cooking fuel (PNG — Piped Natural Gas) in homes.
Major reserves of natural gas in India …
The map is a political outline of India, with the landmass shaded grey. The Tropic of Cancer, neighbouring countries, and surrounding seas are all labelled. A legend uses a filled circle to mark the location of each oil refinery.
Twenty-two refineries are plotted across the country. In the north, you see Bathinda, Panipat, and Mathura. Moving east, there is Barauni in Bihar, then Bina in Madhya Pradesh. The western coast is dense with refineries: Jamnagar and Vadinar in Gujarat, Koyali (also in Gujarat), Mumbai, and then Mangaluru and Cochin further south. Along the southern coast, Chennai, Nagapattinam, and Tatipaka (in Andhra Pradesh) are marked. The eastern coast shows Vishakhapatnam, Paradwip in Odisha, and Haldia in West Bengal. In the far northeast, the refineries are Digboi, Numaligarh, Bongaigaon, and Guwahati — all in Assam. A scale bar runs from 0 to 600 km. …