Current domestic production of LPG accounting for 50-60% of consumption requirements: Officials

At present, domestic production of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is fulfilling about 50-60% of our domestic demand, Sujata Sharma, Joint-Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) told reporters in the daily inter-ministerial briefing to discuss latest developments about the situation in West Asia Monday.

“Right now, our domestic production is accounting for something in between 50 to 60% of our demand,” she stated in response to a query from reporters.

Further, responding to queries about the geographies India is procuring LPG from, Ms. Sharma held the country was picking cargoes from wherever available. “We require a whole lot of LPG now, and because earlier 90% of our imports were coming from West Asia,” she stated, adding, “So, we are picking cargoes from wherever available.”

The senior official, emphasised that domestic LPG supplies are “normal as before”. She informed, “Panic bookings, which had peaked to 88 lakhs, has come down to about 50 lakhs. So, it has come to normal.”

1.90 lakh consumers have migrated from LPG to PNG

The senior official informed that about 1.90 lakh consumers have migrated from LPG to PNG. Cumulatively, she mentioned, more than 3.5 lakh domestic and commercial PNG connections have been issued or activated in the first three weeks of March.

For perspective, amidst the escalating tensions, the Union Government has been encouraging for a transition to piped natural gas (PNG) from the cooking gas cylinders, seeking to cool off pressure as supplies of the latter find themselves mired in the Strait of Hormuz.

Purchasing crude from any country is “techno-commercial” decision

In response to a query about India potentially tapping into the market for Iranian crude oil, Ms. Sharma held, “Regarding purchasing crude from any particular country, I would like to state [that] these are techno-commercial decisions taken by oil marketing companies.”

Fuel tanker charters

Separately, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, informed the India-flagged vessel carrying liquified natural gas (LNG) is chartered by Petronet LNG. Further, state-owned OMCs Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum has chartered the India-flagged vessels carrying liquified petroleum gas (LPG) whilst IndianOil, Reliance Industries and BGN International had chartered India-flagged vessels carrying crude oil.