RAS question
Mumbai High is associated with the production of:
Correct answer: (D) Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Mumbai High is associated with the production of petroleum and natural gas.
Explanation
Mumbai High, also called Bombay High, is India's largest offshore oil and gas field, located about 160 km northwest of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea. ONGC discovered it in 1974, and the official PIB release on Mumbai High Offshore operations describes it as a major source of the country's oil and gas. That is why the field is linked with petroleum and natural gas, not with solid minerals mined on land. The same release places Mumbai High within ONGC's offshore production system, mentioning Mumbai High North, Mumbai High South and offshore processing activity. For a RAS question, the key clue is the word "High": here it refers to an offshore hydrocarbon field in the Arabian Sea.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Iron ore is a land-mined mineral, whereas Mumbai High is identified with ONGC's offshore oil and gas operations in the Arabian Sea.
- (B) Coal is mined on land, mainly in eastern India, so it does not match an offshore Mumbai High production field.
- (C) Manganese is mined on land in states such as Odisha and Maharashtra, while Mumbai High is an offshore petroleum and natural gas field.
Concept
This tests the Geography of India theme of mineral and energy resources, especially the location of major oil and gas fields. It recurs in RAS because Mumbai High is a standard example of India's offshore hydrocarbon production.