Minerals and Energy Resources Test - 7

Petroleum refineries act as a “nodal industry” for synthetic textile, fertilizer and numerous chemical industries. Most of the petroleum occurrences in India are associated with anticlines and fault traps in the rock formations of the tertiary age. Nodal industries are those industries around which other peripheral industries also develop. These peripheral industries manufacture the goods required by the nodal industries.

About 63 per cent of India’s petroleum production is from Mumbai High, 18 per cent from Gujarat and 16 per cent from Assam.Crude oil produced from Bombay High is considered to be of very good quality as compared to crudes produced in middle east. Bombay High crude has more than 60% paraffinic content while light Arabian crude has only 25% paraffin

Ankeleshwar is the most important field of Gujarat.Gujarat's oil wells are at Amkleswar (largest), Cambay, Kalol, Kosamba, Mehsana, Nowgam, Dholka, Lunej, Sananda, Wavel Bakal and Kathana.

Assam is the oldest oil producing state of India. Digboi, Naharkatiya and Moran-Hugrijan are the important oil fields in the state.Digboi has the distinction of being India's oldest continuously producing oilfield.

Natural gas is an important clean energy resource found in association with or without petroleum. It is used as a source of energy as well as an industrial raw material in the petrochemical industry.Natural gas is a mixture of gases which are rich in hydrocarbons.

Natural gas is considered an environment friendly fuel because of low carbon dioxide emissions and is, therefore, the fuel for the present century. It is non toxic and non poisonous for humans. 

Hydroelectricity is generated by fast flowing water, which is a renewable resource. India has a number of multi-purpose projects like the Bhakra Nangal, Damodar Valley Corporation, the Kopili Hydel Project etc. producing hydroelectric power.

Moreover, increasing use of fossil fuels also causes serious environmental problems. Hence, there is a pressing need to use renewable energy sources like solar energy, wind, tide, biomass and energy from waste material. These are called non-conventional energy sources.

Nuclear or Atomic Energy is obtained by altering the structure of atoms. When such an alteration is made, much energy is released in the form of heat and this is used to generate electric power. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion.

The Monazite sands of Kerala is also rich in Thorium. Due to the alpha decay of thorium and uranium, monazite contains a significant amount of helium, which can be extracted by heating.