The government has asked public sector oil marketing companies to create Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) reserves sufficient for at least 30 days as the ongoing conflict in West Asia continues to disrupt global energy supplies.
Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma, stated this while speaking to reporters yesterday during an inter-ministerial press briefing on the West Asia conflict. Outlining precautionary measures to safeguard against supply shocks, Ms Sharma said India is also working to enhance its crude oil storage capacity.
She said the government is strengthening fuel security through strategic reserves and ensuring uninterrupted supplies, while continuing efforts to curb hoarding. The government has asked state-run oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) — to prepare plans for additional storage over and above their regular commercial inventories.
Ms Sharma said the country has adequate stocks of petrol, diesel, LPG, crude oil and natural gas. She added that refineries are operating at optimum levels and LPG production has reached an all-time high of around 92,000 metric tonnes per day. She also informed that no dry-out has been reported at any LPG distributorship.
In the last four days alone, 1.78 crore LPG refill bookings were received and around 1.8 crore cylinders were delivered, with 96 per cent of deliveries authenticated digitally. Enforcement agencies and oil marketing companies have intensified inspections, resulting in fuel seizures, FIRs, arrests, and action against errant dealers and distributors. Commercial LPG supplies remain robust, while natural gas supply has been restored to 99 per cent for industrial and commercial consumers.
Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Aseem Mahajan, said the government is closely monitoring developments in the Gulf and West Asia region. He said Indian Embassies and Consulates in the region are operating round-the-clock helplines to provide timely assistance to Indian nationals. Mr Mahajan added that the overall flight situation continues to improve, with additional flights operating from the region to various destinations across India.
Director in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Opesh Kumar Sharma, said the Ministry continues to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure the welfare of seafarers and uninterrupted maritime operations. He informed that the merchant vessel Nissos Keros, a crude oil tanker, has safely transited the Strait of Hormuz and is expected to arrive in Visakhapatnam on 3rd June. The vessel is carrying around 2.7 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil.
Mr Sharma added that all Indian seafarers in the region are safe and that no incident involving Indian seafarers on either Indian-flagged or foreign-flagged merchant vessels has been reported.
