OMCs boost LPG production, prioritise domestic users amid global crisis

Oil Marketing Companies are increasing LPG production to prioritise domestic consumers due to geopolitical disruptions. The government has invoked the Essential Commodities Act to ensure uninterrupted cooking gas supply for homes and CNG for vehicles.

OMCs Prioritise Domestic LPG Supply

Oil Marketing Companies have initiated measures to enhance Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) production and prioritise its availability for domestic consumers following geopolitical disruptions to global fuel supplies.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation confirmed that the Ministry has taken steps for higher LPG production while securing stocks for domestic customers and essential non-domestic sectors. "In light of current geopolitical disruptions to fuel supply and constraints on supply of LPG, Ministry has taken the step for higher LPG production and securing it for supplying to domestic customers. Along with ensuring supplies to all domestic customers, it has been decided to make supplies as per requirement to the essential non domestic sectors such as hospitals, educational institutions, etc. For LPG supply to other non-domestic sectors, a committee of three Executive Directors of Oil Marketing Companies have been constituted to review the representations and prioritise the LPG supply," the joint statement said.

Committee to Review Non-Domestic Supply Requests

The statement noted that in cases of requirements considered essential in other sectors, a submission can be made to the committee through the provided official email IDs. "In case of any requirement which are considered as essential in other sectors, a submission can be made to the committee through the above email ids. Since non-domestic LPG supply depends on the availability of imported products, the committee may not be able to address every grievance. Requests will be considered based on their merits, product availability and appropriate decisions will be made accordingly," the statement noted.

Govt Invokes Essential Commodities Act

Amidst growing pressure on global fuel supplies due to the ongoing West Asia conflict, the Union Government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Commodities Act (EC Act) to safeguard the domestic energy market. According to the Petroleum Ministry, the government has issued a control order directing refineries and petrochemical units to maximise the production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and divert key hydrocarbon streams to the LPG pool to ensure an uninterrupted supply of cooking gas across the country. The Petroleum Ministry stated that the invocation of the Act has established a clear priority list for natural gas distribution to manage current supply constraints. Under this new mandate, there is a 100% assured supply of domestic piped gas for homes and CNG for vehicles. Other sectors will face calibrated supply caps based on their previous six-month average consumption. (ANI)

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