India has begun sourcing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the United States as part of its efforts to diversify supplies amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, the government said on Tuesday even as it says that the overall fuel availability remains stable.
“Most of the LPG is coming from the Gulf. Our oil marketing companies have started taking LPG from the US. Government is putting all efforts to diversify sources of LPG too,” said Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, at a government briefing. She added, “We are getting more crude today due to increased diversification.”
She said commercial LPG supplies have also been partially restored, with states resuming distribution, adding that alternative fuels such as kerosene and coal have also been activated in order to ease pressure on domestic LPG demand.
Domestic supply and demand management
She also said that refineries are operating at full capacity and that stocks of petrol and diesel remain adequate. Commercial LPG supplies, which had been halted earlier, have now been partially restored, with several states resuming distribution.
Sharma said domestic LPG production has increased by 38 per cent since March 5. “We are increasing our output by diverting some of the molecules into LPG pool,” she said, adding that there has been no reduction in domestic supply.
Authorities have also intensified enforcement to curb malpractice. More than 12,000 inspections have led to the seizure of around 15,000 LPG cylinders.
She noted that panic-driven demand is easing. “There is a downward trend in panic booking. On March 13, there were 89 lakh panic bookings. It has come down to 70 lakh today. LPG refill distribution rate remains the same as before the conflict,” Sharma said, urging consumers to avoid hoarding and black-market purchases.
Logistics and movement amid crisis
The Centre has directed states and Union Territories to fast-track approvals for city gas distribution pipeline projects to strengthen energy infrastructure.States including Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Manipur, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have issued orders to allocate non-domestic LPG in line with central guidelines.
Two Indian-flagged LPG tankers — Shivalik and Nanda Devi — passed through the Strait of Hormuz on March 14 and reached India carrying about 92,700 metric tonnes of LPG.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs said there have been no discussions with Iran regarding tanker exchanges for safe passage. “Any case, the three vessels you refer to are not Iran-owned, and there’s no Iranian crude on them,” spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Officials also said evacuation and movement operations continue. Aseem R Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf), said 2,44,000 Indian citizens have returned since February 28, with flights continuing to operate from the Gulf. Separately, 161 Indian seafarers were repatriated in the past 24 hours, while LPG carriers such as Nanda Devi have reached Indian ports and begun cargo discharge.
