A necessary approach to "Energy Security'

With India's economy poised for a robust growth in the next few years, 'energy security' has become the focal point for policy formulation. From domestic finds in oil and gas to acquiring hydrocarbon assets abroad, dealing woth foreign investors and negotiationg trans-national pipelines - all these issues have become key points in India's quest to secure it's energy future.
Energy Security has to be one of the focal points of our diplomacy at least till the middle of this century. Though we have a hydrocarbon deficiency, our immediate and proximate neighbourhood is simply soaked in hydrocarbons. The largest availability of natural gas in the world in in Qatar!
The fact is that thorium based energy would not be useful at least till the middle of this century. There is a need to competitively access oil and gas instead of finding ourselves stranded in a sellers' market.
We have to become 'predators and hunters for energy sources to keep our economy boiling.

An Appropriate Energy Policy.... Few pointers:

1. We need to pursue an aggressive oil and gas diplomacy. We need an effective 'National Energy Policy' and a 'National Energy Security Advisor'.

2. We need to have an explorer-friendly exploration policy if the domestic natural gas outut is to surge. Indeed, the role of natural gas should be given high priority.

3. The number of blocks for exploration as well as the number of awards must be increased for the private bidders. Production-sharing contracts should be unambigously drafted and terms redefined to the advantage of the investor. This is the only way we can encourage both international and domestic investors.

3. Being geographically fortunate, we need to utilise access to the gas reserves of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and other CIS countries. We need to build a network of pipelines to access natural gas reserves in Myanmar and South Korea as well as Sakhalin, where we have a switch deal to transfer gas to Sumatra. We need to find a way towards accessing the enormous gas reserves of Australia too.
The Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline or, peace pipeline momentum should not be derailed.

4. Shale gas is catching the global imagination. Europe and China are emerging as the leading producers. We need top quickly assess our reserves, locate them and prepare an open acreage licensing policy.
We need to fully acquire mastery over the 'underground coal gasification technology' too.

5. Nuclear Energy, the future fuel has tremendous prospects and we are doing well in this field, especially, by signing nuclear peace deals with nine major countries. We now need to rapidly develop our mastery over the nuclear fuel reprocessing technology.

6. Research and Development efforts need impetus by way of pumping in more resources. Determined efforts needed to develop knowledge networking across the world. We need to try and bring the ASEAN gas producers and consumers together on one single platform.

According to a US Survey, India is poised to attract $169 billion USD Investments in Clean Energy - wind, solar, biomass, energy from waste, small hydro, geothermal and marine energy projects. It is also indicated that India would be among the top 5 nations in the G-20 group in terms of clean energy investments in the world.
(* India imports 75% of its crude oil requirement and about one-fifth of natural gas needs)