India's August LNG Imports Up on Year
India’s LNG imports showed their sixth straight month of year-on-year growth in August as demand continued to be robust.
During August, India imported LNG equivalent to 2.31bn m3 of pipeline gas (about 1.8mn metric tons LNG), which was up almost 10%, according to data published September 20 by the Indian oil ministry's Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC). July LNG imports were 2.47bn m3, up 29%.
During the first five months of the present financial year that began April 1, cumulative imports were 11.75bn m3, up by more than 18%. India's LNG imports last year were the highest ever at 26.4bn m³, up 7%, according to PPAC data. Major buyers of LNG were Petronet LNG, Gail, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation and Reliance Industries.
India’s LNG imports may get a further boost thanks to government’s decision to ban the import of petroleum coke (petcoke) as fuel. The ban was announced mid-August.