NEW DELHI – India’s natural gas demand is likely to more than double to 473 million standard cubic metres per day by 2016-17 with most of incremental demand coming from power plants.
According to the projections made by oil ministry for the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17), current gas demand of 189 mmscmd is likely to rise to 473 mmscmd.
“The overall demand would grow from 293 mmscmd (in 2012-13) to 473 mmscmd (in 2016-17) over the 12th plan period and from 494 mmscmd (in 2017-18) to 606 mmscmd (in 2021-22) over the 13th plan period,” according to the projections.
“This represents a compounded annual growth rate of 7.5 per cent over the two plan (10 year) periods,” it said.
Of the 473 mmscmd demand at the end of 12th Five Year Plan period, 207 mmscmd would be from power and another 113 mmscmd from fertilizer plants. Power plant would need 307 mmscmd by 2021-22 while fertiliser units may not see any incremental demand during 2017 to 2022.
Domestic natural gas production currently is about 120 mmscmd and another 46.3 mmscmd is imported in form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The total availability of 164 mmscmd is short of current demand of 189 mmscmd.
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) produces under 51 mmscmd of gas while output from the prolofic KG-D6 fields of Reliance Industries is about 45 mmscmd. Oil India produces 6.6 mmscmd and another 11.9 mmscmd comes from western offshore Panna/Mukta and Tapti fields.
