Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Govt on Thursday ruled out imposing restrictions on sale of petrol and diesel, asserting there was no shortage of oil and gas and that refiners were tying up additional imports.Calling India an “oasis of energy security” that supplies refined fuel to over 150 countries, govt said domestic petrol and diesel availability is structurally assured. “All one lakh-plus retail fuel outlets are open and dispensing fuel without interruption. Not a single outlet has been asked to ration supply,” it said, adding that two months of oil supplies and one month of LPG requirements are already available.“India’s petroleum and LPG supply situation is fully secure and under control. There is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG anywhere in the country,” the petroleum ministry said.The clarification comes amid global steps to curb fuel use and speculation India could follow suit. Reports of shortages and rumours of a lockdown led to queues at filling stations, but the ministry said these were isolated incidents triggered by “deliberate misinformation”.Govt said alternative arrangements have been made to offset reliance on imports, particularly from West Asia. India imports nearly 90% of crude, 60% of LPG and over half of its natural gas. Against a reserve capacity of 74 days, actual availability is about 60 days.“Nearly two months of steady supply is available for every Indian citizen, regardless of what happens globally. The next two months of crude procurement have also been secured,” the ministry said, It added that oil companies have also increased credit to petrol pumps from one day to three days to prevent disruptions.India has diversified crude sourcing to 41 countries, with higher volumes from the western hemisphere compensating for any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Domestic LPG production has been ramped up 40% to 50,000 tonnes a day, meeting about 60% of demand, while 800,000 tonnes of inbound cargoes are en route. Over 50 lakh cylinders are being distributed daily.Govt said transforming LPG connections to PNG is part of a strategy to shift to cheaper fuel, and began before the current situation.
