India implements gas distribution measures amid Middle East crisis

New Delhi — India has issued directives to ensure fair distribution and availability of natural gas to priority sectors amid energy supply disruptions resulting from Middle East conflict.

The directive, issued on Monday evening, 9 March, by India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, notes that the ongoing Middle East conflict has disrupted liquefied natural gas shipments.

The government emphasised the necessity of regulating natural gas production, sectoral allocation, supply diversion, distribution, and consumption, including liquefied natural gas and regasified liquefied natural gas.

The directive also establishes gas distribution based on four priority sectors.

The primary priority sector will receive 100 per cent of average gas consumption over the preceding six months. This sector includes domestic pipeline gas supply, compressed natural gas for transport, liquefied petroleum gas production, liquefied petroleum gas conservation requirements, compressor fuel, and operation of other critical pipeline networks.

The directive was issued following reports from hotel and restaurant industry associations across Indian cities of shortages of commercial liquefied petroleum gas cylinders.

Tensions in the Middle East escalated after the United States and Israel launched a combined attack on Iran on 28 February, which the Iranian government claims killed nearly 1,300 people, including former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and hundreds of schoolgirls.

Iran subsequently retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf nations hosting US military facilities.

Iran has reportedly closed the Strait of Hormuz since 1 March. This shipping route handles approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day and 20 per cent of global liquefied natural gas trade.