Natural gas availability in India at 167.80 MMSCMD: Deora

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora today informed the Lok Sabha that the total availability of natural gas in India, including imported liquid natural gas (LNG), was around 167.80 million standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd).

He told the House in a written reply to a question that thiswas projected to go up to around 202.97 mmscmd, 256.6 mmscmd and 271.92 mmscmd during 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively.

The Minister said the present demand of various priority sectors in the country was largely being met. Further, spare regasification capacity is available in the country for import of LNG, he said.

According to him, the present total requirement of natural gas in the power and fertilizers sectors was around around 77.44 mmscmd and 39.61 mmscmd, respectively.

The projected additional demand of natural gas in the power sector was 15.59 mmscmd, 60 mmscmd and 60 mmscmd in each of the next three years - 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14.

The corresponding figures for the fertilisers sector are 3.43 mmscmd, 13.44 mmscmd and 46.78 mmscmd.

Mr Deora said the cost of production of natural gas varied from field to field, depending on, inter alia, geological conditions, age of field, location of field, cost of equipments & services, and so on.

He said the gas available under the Administered Price Mechanism (APM) and New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) was sold at $ 4.2/million british thermal unit (mmbtu) inclusive of royalty. As regards customers in the North-East, a subsidy of 40% is given by the Government. Gas available under pre-NELP contracts is sold at an average price of $ 5.24/mmbtu. Further, LNG imported under long-term agreement is sold at $ 6.53/mmbtu, while the price of spot cargo presently varies in the range of $ 5.40-9.4/mmbtu.

NNN