Geosciences of the Rajasthan Basins, India

This book provides a thorough grasp of the geology and geophysics of hydrocarbon reserves in the Rajasthan Basins, India, and the latest updates from academicians and researchers in related industrial fields. The book covers a wide variety of geological and geophysical aspects related to the Rajasthan Basins, such as hydrocarbon exploration and production methods, stratigraphy, sedimentology, paleontology, source rock characterization, and hydrocarbon potential. This book is a useful resource for a wide range of readers who are interested in geology, petroleum geology and economic geology of the basin as well as professionals in the oil and gas industry.

The Rajasthan Basin in the western part of the Rajasthan state of India hosts three petroliferous sedimentary sub-basins: the Barmer, Jaisalmer and Bikaner-Nagaur sub-basins. The Barmer sub-basin has been recognized as category 1, i.e., a basin with prolific production of hydrocarbons. These three sub-basins are important for the energy security of India and are being explored and developed by major oil and gas companies. Therefore, it is important to understand the geologic structures, sedimentary depositional systems and hydrocarbon potential of the sub-basins. This study necessitates studying the stratigraphy, sedimentology, structural geology and geophysical properties of the rocks and sediments and thermal history. Such studies help to identify potential reservoirs, seals and traps for oil and gas, and to estimate the volume and quality of hydrocarbons present.

Soumyajt Mukherjee, a specialist in tectonics and structural geologist, is a Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. He is an editorial board member of Marine and Petroleum Geology and has published many articles in international journals as well as books, including Structural Geological Atlas and Tectonics and Structural Geology: Indian Context.

Nihar Ranjan Kar is a Senior Technical Officer at the CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute. He is an organic geochemist who has published papers in international journals. His research interests include source rock characterization, depositional environment, thermal and burial history, kerogen degradation kinetics in sedimentary basins, basin modelling, sequence stratigraphy, and paleo-climatic and paleo-geographic reconstruction.