Geography · Ch 15 — Transport and Communication — India
Oil and Gas Pipelines
Oil and Gas Pipelines
Pipelines are the most convenient and efficient mode for transporting liquids and gases over long distances. Even solids can be moved through pipelines after being converted into a slurry. In India, the development of oil and gas pipelines has been driven by two major public sector undertakings: Oil India Limited (OIL) and GAIL (India) Ltd.
Oil India Limited (OIL)
OIL operates under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It is engaged in the exploration, production, and transportation of crude oil and natural gas. The company was incorporated in 1959.
OIL constructed Asia’s first cross-country pipeline. This pipeline covers a distance of 1,157 km, running from the Naharkatiya oilfield in Assam to the Barauni refinery in Bihar. It was later extended up to Kanpur in 1966.
GAIL (India) Ltd.
GAIL was set up in 1984 as a public sector undertaking. Its mandate is to transport, process, and market natural gas for its economic use.
The first major cross-country gas pipeline built by GAIL was the Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ) pipeline. It is 1,700 km long and links the Mumbai High and Bassein gas fields with various fertiliser, power, and industrial complexes in western and northern India. This pipeline gave a major boost to the development of the Indian gas market.