Indian LNG Imports up 6% in Sept
India’s LNG imports in September came in at 2.97bn m3 (2.1mn metric tons), up 6.2% yr/yr, according to the data published by the Indian oil and gas ministry's Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) on October 21. The imports were unchanged month on month.
The cumulative imports of 15.91bn m3 in April through September were lower by 3% compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, the data showed. Indian LNG imports have recovered in the last couple of months as demand for gas has increased thanks to the Indian government easing the lockdown.
Gas consumption in September was 5.2bn m3, down 1.7% yr/yr. During April-September, consumption was 29.4bn m3, down 8% yr/yr. “With the resumption of economic activities, the consumption of natural gas is now moving towards the pre-Covid levels,” PPAC said.
The cost of LNG imports in September was $700mn, down from $800mn in the same month last year. For the April-September period, the import cost was $3.2bn, down from $4.7bn in the same period last year, the data showed.