LPG imports may dip after 2010: IndianOil
New Delhi   25-Jun-2008
India's liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports may dip after 2010 because of refinery expansions, said an official from IndianOil, the nation's biggest refiner. LPG imports by India, Asia's third largest energy consumer, may drop to 3.2 million tonnes (mt) in the year ending March 2011 from an estimated 4.1mt in the year to March 2010, P.K. Jha, senior LPG manager for operations at IndianOil, said on Tuesday. Most of the country's LPG imports come from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. "There are three new refineries expected by that time, so lower imports are anticipated," Jha said here. "Some upgrades at refineries to boost supplies are also under way." In the year to March 2009, LPG imports may rise to 3.2mt from last year's 25mt, he said. India's total LPG consumption is 12mt. Imports may slightly increase in the year ending March 2012 to 3.3mt on rising demand, Jha said. About 23% of India's LPG consumption is met through imports, he said. The country's demand for the fuel, used mostly for cooking, is growing at about 7% annually.