Amid Power Crisis, India Urges Qatar To Expedite Delivery Of Natural Gas Cargo

Facing energy disaster, India has urged Qatar to expedite supply of delayed liquified pure fuel cargo

India, grappling with its worst energy disaster in 5 years, has requested Qatar to expedite supply of 58 delayed liquefied pure fuel (LNG) cargoes, two sources acquainted with the matter stated. Asia's third largest financial system is struggling its worst energy scarcity since March 2016 resulting from a crippling coal scarcity amid excessive international power costs.

Infrastructure upkeep at provider Qatargas prevented it from delivering 50 LNG cargoes to India this yr, the sources stated, prompting the Petroleum Ministry final week to put in writing a letter searching for supply of these cargoes.

The ministry can be searching for eight extra cargoes which have been delayed final yr at New Delhi's request after COVID-induced lockdowns lowered demand for the super-cooled gasoline, they stated.

The sources declined to be named as they don't seem to be authorised to talk to media. Country's high fuel importer, Petronet LNG, has long-term offers to purchase 7.5 million tonnes per yr (mtpa) of LNG from Qatar and 1.44 mtpa from Exxon's Gorgon challenge in Australia.

LNG underneath these long-term offers prices about $11-$12 per million British thermal items (mmBtu), versus greater than $38 per mmBtu on Asia's spot fuel market at present and a document excessive of over $56 hit earlier this month. Indian prospects in August began deferring imports of spot LNG resulting from excessive costs, Petronet LNG CEO A Ok Singh stated on the time.

He stated the Indian energy sector reduces its consumption of LNG as soon as costs rise above about $10/mmBtu. India has 24 gigawatts (GW) of gas-fired energy technology capability of which about 14 GW has been stranded for greater than 10 years resulting from non-availability of fuel, whereas the remaining crops are working at very low capability.

Petroleum Ministry, Qatargas and its father or mother firm Qatar Energy didn't reply to Reuters emails searching for remark.