Lok Sabha Question No. 3140 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-31
Subject: Import of CNG
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: HARI NARAYAN RAJBHAR, LAXMAN GILUWA

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3140

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.12.2018

Import of CNG

†3140.

SHRI HARINARAYAN RAJBHAR:

SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA:

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS पेट्रोलियम और प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether import of CNG and LNG is essential to fulfil their demand in the country and if so, the details thereof along with the quantum and percentage of gas imported during the last three years and the current year, country-wise;
- (b) the year-wise expenditure of foreign exchange on the said import during the said period and value of that foreign exchange in terms of Indian currency;
- (c) the year-wise production of LNG and CNG indigenously during the said period; and
- (d)  whether the imported gas is costlier as compared to domestic gas and if so, the details thereof along with the comparative average cost of both sources of gases?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  PETROLEUM  AND  NATURAL  GAS  (SHRI  DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) to (d) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is imported under open general license on the terms and conditions mutually agreed upon between the buyers and sellers. LNG on re-gasification can be sold by the various entities as compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

Production of domestic natural gas and LNG import in the country during last three years and current year is as under:

(in MMSCM)

|                                          | 2015-16   | 2016-17   | 2017-18   | 2018-19 (April October, 2018)   |
|------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------------------------------|
| Net availability (net of flare and loss) | 31129     | 30848     | 31731     | 18586                           |
| LNG import                               | 21388     | 24686     | 26328     | 16468                           |
| %of gas imported                         | 40.7%     | 44.5%     | 45.3%     | 47.0%                           |
| Expenditure on LNG import in USD (in     | 6897      | 6089      | 7739      | 5846                            |

| Million)                                                |       |       |       |       |
|---------------------------------------------------------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
| Expenditure on LNG import in Indian currency (in crore) | 45038 | 40813 | 49941 | 40675 |

Details  of  LNG  imported  during  last  three  years  and  current  year  country  wise  is  at Annexure-I.

In the last three years the CGD companies have utilized 3029 MMSCM gas in the year 201516, 3346 MMSCM gas in the year 2016-17, 3737 MMSCM gas in the year 2017-18 and 2081 MMSCM gas in first six months in the year 2018-19 of domestic gas towards CNG purpose.

Gas prices are notified by Petroleum, Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) at every six months interval. Domestic natural gas price in US $/ MMBTU fixed by PPAC during last three years and as reported by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), the DES price of LNG is given below:

| Period                         |   Domestic natural gas price in USD /MMBTU |   Average cost of LNG (as per IOCL) (DES) (USD /MMBTU) |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| April, 2015 to September, 2015 |                                       4.66 |                                                   7.25 |
| October, 2015 to March, 2016   |                                       3.82 |                                                   7.25 |
| April, 2016 to September, 2016 |                                       3.06 |                                                   6.89 |
| October, 2016 to March, 2017   |                                       2.5  |                                                   6.89 |
| April, 2017 to September, 2017 |                                       2.48 |                                                   8.01 |
| October, 2017 to March, 2018   |                                       2.89 |                                                   8.01 |
| April, 2018 to September 2018  |                                       3.06 |                                                   9.6  |
| October, 2018 to March, 2019   |                                       3.36 |                                                   9.6  |

The LNG which is imported has to be liquefied, transported and re-gasified at destination and at present is costlier that the locally produced gas.

## Annexure-I

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  to  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3140 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.12.2018

Country wise LNG imports in last three years:

[in Thousand Million Tonne (TMT)]

| Country            |   2015-16 |   Percentage share |   2016-17 |   Percentage share |   2017-18 |   Percentage share |
|--------------------|-----------|--------------------|-----------|--------------------|-----------|--------------------|
| Algeria            |         0 |                  0 |        61 |                  0 |       138 |                  1 |
| Angola             |         0 |                  0 |       331 |                  2 |      1044 |                  5 |
| Australia          |       816 |                  5 |      1141 |                  6 |      1455 |                  7 |
| Belgium            |       260 |                  2 |       127 |                  1 |         0 |                  0 |
| Brazil             |         0 |                  0 |        63 |                  0 |         0 |                  0 |
| Egypt              |         0 |                  0 |        65 |                  0 |       269 |                  1 |
| Equatrorial Gionea |       847 |                  5 |      1201 |                  6 |       893 |                  4 |
| France             |         0 |                  0 |         0 |                  0 |       260 |                  1 |
| Indonesia          |       304 |                  2 |         0 |                  0 |         0 |                  0 |
| Malaysia           |       119 |                  1 |        59 |                  0 |       261 |                  1 |
| Netherlands        |        69 |                  0 |         0 |                  0 |       330 |                  2 |
| Nigeria            |      2184 |                 14 |      2099 |                 11 |      2280 |                 11 |
| Norway             |       126 |                  1 |         0 |                  0 |       131 |                  1 |
| Oman               |       627 |                  4 |       321 |                  2 |       442 |                  2 |
| Papua New Guinea   |        72 |                  0 |         0 |                  0 |         0 |                  0 |
| Peru               |        58 |                  0 |        59 |                  0 |         0 |                  0 |
| Qatar              |     10083 |                 62 |     10124 |                 54 |     10173 |                 51 |
| Singapore          |         0 |                  0 |      1389 |                  7 |      1437 |                  7 |
| Spain              |       121 |                  1 |       363 |                  2 |        61 |                  0 |
| Trinidad& Tobago   |       342 |                  2 |       299 |                  2 |       121 |                  1 |
| UAE                |       112 |                  1 |       553 |                  3 |       249 |                  1 |
| UK                 |         0 |                  0 |        65 |                  0 |         0 |                  0 |
| USA                |         0 |                  0 |       312 |                  2 |       329 |                  2 |
| Total              |     16140 |                100 |     18632 |                100 |     19873 |                100 |