ONGC gas output drops 15% as factories shut operations in virus lockdown

The customers refusing gas supplies are mostly small companies whose business has been completely shut because of the lockdown, and city gas distributors who have seen volumes vanish after CNG vehicle

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has been forced to cut natural gas production by over 15 per cent as factories shut down operations following the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

ONGC, which produced 64.3 million standard cubic meters of gas per day (mmscmd) prior to the lockdown imposed on March 25, has reduced the flow to 53.4 mmscmd, sources aware of the development told PTI. Gas sales are down to 40 mmscmd against 50 mmscmd previously, they said.

The difference between production and sales is due to the fact that some of the gas is also used by ONGC for