RLNG capacity to grow from 61.2 mmscmd to 147.6 by 2016-17

Oil ministry lays out comprehensive capacity addition plan, domestic output pegged at 150 mmscmd by 2017-18

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural gas has formulated a comprehensive plan to augment the supply natural gas in the country.

As per the plan, the capacity will be augmented through a combination of regasification of LNG terminals and domestic output.    RLNG capacity is expected to grow from 61.2 million standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) at present to 147.6 mmscmd  in 2016-17 in a phased manner. Similarly,  domestic  production of natural gas is expected to firm up to 150 mmscmd  from 100 mmscmd  at present  by 2017-18.  This plan has been discussed at an interministerial meeting to apprise various users of natural gas  on  its availability. This follows the growing demand of natural gas as a preferred feedstock by fertiliser plants, power plants, chemical plants  and other captive units especially in the power sector.

Regasification refers to imported natural gas  at LNG terminals. According to official sources, by the end of 2013-14,  the availability of the  regasified liquefied natural gas ( R-LNG) is expected to grow accordingly from the present capacity of 61.2 mmscmd to 79.2 mmscmd by the end of 2013-14. This is primarily due to increase in capacity of Kochi terminal of Petronet LNG  by 5 million tonne per annum  (M MTPA) . This project received its environmental clearance and  coastal regulation zone clearance in January 2013.

Explaining the units, officials said that one MMPTA equals 3.6 mmscmd and that is how the unit gets converted from MMPTA to MMSCMD.  

 
While the regasification capacity remains  the same at 79.2 mmscmd   in 2014-15, the capacity of imported gas is expected to grow substantially in 2015-16 to 102.6 mmscmd.  This is due to an increase of Dhabol  LNG  terminal by additional  3 MMPTA  to 5 MMPTA  and fresh 3.5 MMPTA  regasification  at Kakinada  terminal of Andhra Pradesh Gas based power Plants  ( APGPCL).    

 In 2016-17,  the capacity of imported gas is further expected to grow to 147.6 mmscmd.  Apart from the existing terminals,   this increase is attributed to additional new capacity of 5mmpta  at Gangavaram port , Andhra Pradesh and  5 MMPTA additional capacity of Petronet Dahej terminal. After the addition of  5MMPTA capacity, Petronet Dahej increases its regasified LNG facility  to 15 MMPTA from existing  10 MMPTA.  Similarly, another capacity addition will be  at Hazira LNG  from existing 5 MMPTA to 7.5 MMPTA.

This accounts for increase in supply  of RLNG in the country through fresh units and additions to existing terminals, officials said.

Similarly, production of natural gas in the country is expected to go up by combined output of KG-D6 basins and increase in output of natural gas by state owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation( ONGC) and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation ( GSPC). Officials added, ONGC in particular is expected to generate 35 MMPTA of output by 2017-18.