OIL CONSERVATION
In view of the need to reduce the ever-increasing gap between demand and indigenous
supply of crude oil and petroleum products the Government has accorded top priority to
conservation of petroleum products. Towards this end various steps to promote
conservation of petroleum products in the transport, industrial, agricultural and domestic
sectors have been initiated. These include adoption of measures and practices which are
conducive to increase fuel efficiency and training programmes in the transport sector,
modernisation of boilers, furnaces and other oil-operated equipment with efficient ones
and promotion of fuel-efficient practices and equipment in the industrial sector;
standardisation of fuel efficient irrigator pumpsets and rectification of existing pumpsets to
make them more energy-efficient in the agricultural sector and development as well as
promotion of the use of fuel-efficient equipment and appliances like kerosene and LPG
stoves in the household sector. These activities are promoted and coordinated by the
Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) and Oil Marketing Companies
under the guidance and supervision of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Campaign
Multi-media campaigns are organised for creating mass awareness about the need for
conserving petroleum products and for informing and motivating users to take concrete
steps to actually conserve such products. Oil marketing companies have also been playing
an important role in using various media for creating mass awareness. To enlarge the base
of mass awareness, Conservation Week is organised throughout the country during January
by the oil sector as a whole in close coordination with the concerned
Ministries/Departments of the Union Government, State Governments, public sector
undertakings and Chamber of Commerce. A number of activities apart from multimedia
mass awareness and education campaign are organised during the Conservation Week.
Lubricants
In view of the excellent potential for conservation of liquid fuels and lubricating oils
through quality upgradation of automotive lubricants, an action plan to produce and sell
high grade lubricants to the extent of about 2.50 lakh tonnes per year to replace lubricants
of lower efficiency in a phased manner was formulated which has been fully implemented
by the Oil Companies.
Substitution
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is used as a fuel in transport sector in many countries. It is
a safe and clean burning fuel besides being environment friendly. It has been established
that exhaust emissions like hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide are significantly reduced
as compared to other fuels. Toxic emissions such as lead and sulphur are completely
eliminated. Existing petrol vehicles can use CNG by fitting a conversion kit. The CNG
