Domestic natural gas consumption up 6% in November

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Domestic natural gas consumption rose 6% in November over the same month last year, helped by increased supply from domestic fields, the oil ministry data showed.

Imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) expanded 5% year-on-year in November while the output from domestic gas fields increased 7.6%. The overall domestic production was boosted by the 26% increase in output from fields operated by the private sector.

ONGC’s natural gas output dropped 3.6% in November. ONGC produces about half of the country’s gas output.

For the April-November period, India’s gas consumption is up 8.5% year-on-year while LNG imports are up 12%.

Domestic gas production is up 5.5%.

The fertilizer sector is the largest consumer of natural gas in the country with city gas distributors and power plants being the second and third-largest consumers respectively. Fertilizer makers are the biggest consumers of imported gas while city gas distributors are the largest users of domestic gas whose prices are subject to government-set ceilings.

India has imported 46% of the gas it consumed this financial year with Qatar being the largest sourcing destination.

Gas is imported both under long-term and short-term contracts. With global LNG prices moderating from the record highs of 2022, India’s LNG imports have risen this year.