QUESTION 14
GS1
15 marks
Give a geographical explanation of the distribution of off-shore oil reserves of the world. How are they different from the on-shore occurrences of oil reserves?
WRITE IN
11 min
250 words
What the examiner wants
Give a geographical explanation for where offshore oil reserves are found and how they differ from onshore ones.
ExplainMake clear how and why it happens: causes, process, and an example for each point.
Demand-wise check
- 1Geology: oil forms in sedimentary basins from marine organic matter; continental shelves and deltas hold thick sediments≈65 words
- 2Distribution: Persian Gulf, North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Guinea, offshore Brazil (pre-salt), Bombay High, KG basin≈65 words
- 3Differences: depth, technology and cost, environmental risk, ownership under UNCLOS (EEZ)≈65 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
How oil formsWhy shelves and basinsWorld distribution with mapOnshore vs offshore tableConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Listing countries without a geological reason
- Missing the comparison part
Draw this
- World map of offshore oil fields plus a comparison table
Value addition
- India exampleBombay High, discovered in 1974, is India's largest offshore oil field.ONGC
- ExampleBrazil's pre-salt fields lie under thick salt layers in deep water.Petrobras / ANP Brazil
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 38 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 26 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 17 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 11 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 11 minutes, then get it checked.