PNGRB sets up expert committee to review safety framework in oil and gas sector

New Delhi: The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has set up an expert committee to review the current safety framework in the oil and gas sector in the wake of an oil spill in Tamil Nadu earlier this month.

The committee comprises six members and is headed by former HPCL chairman M B Lal. It will submit a report in three months.

The committee will suggest a way forward to strengthen the technical and safety system in the oil and gas industry, the regulator said.


It will “examine regulatory regime, its modalities and domain of PNGRB to ensure safety and integrity of assets in the country’s downstream oil and gas sector as mandated under PNGRB Act, 2006,” the regulator said. It will also explore the inclusion of petrochemical plants in PNGRB’s domain.

Earlier this month after a cyclone hit the southern coast, an oil leakage from Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL) facility at Ennore damaged hundreds of boats and affected the livelihood of several fishermen.