Daily domestic LPG output raised by 25%: Petroleum ministry official

New Delhi: Daily domestic output of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), used predominantly as cooking fuel, has increased 25% as refineries have started maximising production, said a petroleum and natural gas ministry official.

India is facing an LPG crunch as supplies from the Gulf region have stopped due to the Iran war. About 60% of domestic LPG consumption is imported, and 90% of those imports pass through the now choked Strait of Hormuz, Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the ministry, said at a press conference.

Refineries have started maximising LPG output by diverting other product streams into LPG, and some companies are also using natural gas to extract LPG, resulting in an increase in production, she said.


The 25% increase in domestic output would be equivalent to about 10% of total national daily consumption. Sharma advised households against panic booking of cooking gas. Several refineries are operating at 100% or more capacity, she said, adding that India's crude supply remains secure.

India has secured two cargoes each of crude and liquified natural gas (LNG), which are on their way to Indian ports to help fill the gap caused by the suspension of supplies from the Gulf, she said without elaborating. The country imports 91.5 mmscmd of natural gas while it consumes 189 mmscmd, Sharma said. About 47.4 mmscmd of gas volume has been affected due to the Iran war, she added.