Naik makes excuses for low oil production
Stagnating production at the Bombay High, no new discoveries in the last 12 years and "environmental problems" (code for terrorism and kidnappings) in the north-eastern states of India.
These are the three excuses oil minister Ram Naik gave parliament on 18th April to explain away the fact that oil and gas production in this country is stagnating. Naik released the below figures of all-India oil and gas production over the past three years: Year Crude oil Natural gas 1998-1999 32.7m tonnes 27.43bn cubic metres 1999-2000 31.93m tonnes 28.45bn cubic metres 2000-2001 (provisional) 32.45m tonnes 29.47bn cubic metres