Indian Minister of Petroleum departs for Qatar to seek swift access to liquefied natural gas supplies

Golden Ten Data, April 9 — India’s Oil Minister Puri will begin a two-day visit to Qatar on Thursday, using the opportunity provided by the preliminary ceasefire between the US and Iran to urge Qatar to prioritize the supply of natural gas to India and accelerate the delivery of civilian fuels. Half of India’s natural gas demand and two-thirds of its liquefied petroleum gas (commonly used for cooking) rely on imports, most of which come from the Middle East. The six-week-long Gulf War has left India facing a chain reaction of industrial supply shortages and rising prices. Qatar is India’s largest supplier of liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, accounting for 45% and 20% of India’s imports, respectively. According to informed sources, Puri is expected to request Qatar to accelerate supply and give priority to India in terms of liquefied natural gas. India’s Ministry of Petroleum announced the unscheduled visit on social media, but did not provide further details.