Q. India is supposed to have substantial reserves of shale gas, but still there has been no commercial production of shale gas in India. What may be the reason(s) for the same?

1. India lacks technology necessary for shale gas extraction.
2. Shale rocks in India are less permeable compared to shale rocks of other countries.

Select the correct option from the codes given below:
Answer: Both 1 & 2
Notes: The discovery of shale gas in year 2000 and steep rise in its production in later years, in United States has changed the energy economics of the whole world. Shale gas is trapped in less porous sedimentary rocks, which makes it difficult to be extracted. At present, shale gas extraction is limited almost exclusively to Canada and United States. But these are not the only ones to have shale gas deposits. Many other countries, including India, have significant amounts of shale gas. But the major hindrance in extraction of shale gas lies in lack of software and modern technology for extraction of shale gas in India. Also, Indian sedimentary rocks are mainly Carboniferous limestone, which is a hard resistant rock. Furthermore, the technology developed in the United States is proprietary and is not shared with anyone.