LUCKNOW, March 24 -- The evolution of India's hydrocarbon exploration was the focus of a lecture titled "The Oil Hunter: Journey of a Geologist for India's Oil Exploration-History and Present Status of Oil Potential in India", held at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences on Monday, discussed India's hydrocarbon exploration. The lecture was delivered by Shreekrishna Deshpande, former head of corporate planning and former head of exploration (Northeastern States) at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, as part of the Dr KR Surange Memorial Lecture series. Deshpande traced the early challenges of oil exploration in India, including the development of the Digboi Oil Field. He also highlighted key milestones such as the discovery of offshore reserves at Bombay High, along with exploration efforts in the Kutch Peninsula and the Narmada Valley geofracture zones. Reflecting on his tenure, he shared personal experiences of working under demanding conditions during the formative years of India's petroleum industry."India has emerged as the world's fourth-largest economy and the third-largest consumer of petroleum after the USA and China. However, domestic oil production has not kept pace with rising demand," Deshpande said. He noted that while consumption has surged since the 1990s, production growth has remained limited, leading to a widening gap met through imports. India's oil import bill, he added, rose sharply from about Rs.145 billion in 1998 to nearly Rs.90,000 billion in 2022.htc...