Hydro-carbon vision document for Northeast soon: Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

NEW DELHI: A hydro-carbon vision document on the natural resources available in the Northeastern region will soon be released by the government, Lok Sabha was informed today.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also said the vision document will cover all natural resources available in the Northeast, as well as on possibility of finding hidden natural assets like oil and gas.

"I have recently visited Assam and had a long meeting with the Chief Minister and discussed the issue threadbare," he said during question hour.

In his written reply, Pradhan said the government broadly follows the order of priority in the matter of allocation of domestic gas, which is: city gas distribution network for domestic and transport sectors, existing gas-based urea plants, existing gas-based LPG plants, existing grid connected and gas-based power plants and steel, petrochemicals and refineries for feedstock purposes etc.

He said the prevailing gas utilisation policy of the government does not envisage any reservation in the matter of allocation of domestic gas, thereby implying that a plant should be in position to consume the gas as and when it is available.

The Minister said due to less demand of imported LNG, out of 62.10 MMSCMD of total re-gasification capacity, 17.55 MMSCMD remained unutilised.

In power and fertiliser sectors, installed capacity was much less than the demand projected by a working group, he added.