Hazira, Sept 20: India will supplement domestic natural gas (LNG) production by importing liquefied natural gas on the Gujarat coast from next year. Also, over the next 5-6 years, it will invest Rs 18,000 crore in laying a cross-country gas pipeline to transport the fuel to energy-deficit regions.

“Public sector Petronet LNG will begin importing LNG from Qatar in January ’04 and towards the year-end Royal Dutch Shell too will begin sales from its Hazira terminal,” said petroleum minister Ram Naik.

He was unveiling Shell’s $600m LNG import and regassification terminal here. India is currently deficit in natural gas. Currently, domestic production stands at 65m standard cubic metres per day against demand of 115 mmscmd. Like the proposed national power transmission grid, a national gas grid involving the construction of more than 7,000 km of cross-country gas pipelines, is part of the plan.
The gas grid will connect the LNG import locations along the west coast, with high consumption areas in northern, central and western India. It will also transport the recent gigantic finds on the east coast to the southern and western markets, the Union petroleum minister added. Bureau Report