Oil Ministry

E20 may cut mileage by up to 5% but offers cleaner combustion: Oil Ministry

Petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol (E20) can reduce fuel economy by 3-5 per cent in some vehicles, the Oil Ministry said on Friday, but argued the impact is outweighed by benefits, including a higher octane rating, superior anti-knock characteristics, faster combustion, better pickup, smoother acceleration, cleaner engine operation, and lower lifecycle carbon emissions. In a detailed question-and-answer document issued to counter criticism of the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said E20 was a "cleaner, higher-quality and more efficient fuel" than E10 or pure petrol and had been rolled out only after years of scientific testing, consultations with automobile manufacturers and the expansion of domestic ethanol production. The ministry rejected concerns that the programme had been implemented too quickly, saying India's ethanol blending initiative dates back to pilot projects launched in 2001, with 5 per cent blending introduced in parts

Why E20 isn't cheaper despite containing more ethanol? Govt explains

If one-fifth of every litre of petrol is now ethanol, why hasn't E20 become cheaper? Here's the government's answer

OMCs back in profit as under-recoveries on petrol and diesel shrink

Analysts and the government differ on fuel under-recoveries as crude prices ease, highlighting contrasting views on OMC margins and India's fuel pricing formula

Upstream oil PSUs may see greater focus on exploration in evaluations

The oil ministry is considering increasing the weightage of exploration activities in the performance assessment of upstream oil PSUs to boost domestic hydrocarbon discoveries

Govt restores royalty rate on crude oil from nomination blocks to 16.66%

Royalty on crude produced from onland nomination and pre-NELP blocks will again be calculated on a cum-royalty basis, reversing a key May 8 reform

Hardeep Puri heads to Qatar to secure LNG, LPG supply amid fuel crisis

Qatar is India's single-largest supplier of both LNG and LPG, providing 45 per cent and 20 per cent respectively

Oil ministry issues advisory, warns petrol pumps against selling loose fuel

The ministry warned petrol pumps against selling petrol and diesel in loose containers and urged consumers not to store fuel improperly, citing serious safety risks

Indian refineries to be configured to meet rising petchem demand: Puri

The greenfield refineries being built in India have a stronger focus on petrochemical production

BEE revises fuel-efficiency norms, gives relief to small cars for 1st time

BEE revises draft CAFE-3 and CAFE-4 norms, granting small cars special CO₂ relief and retaining incentives for strong hybrids, while adding discounts for flex-fuel vehicles

GST hike on E&P: Govt chalking out plan to compensate upstream oil firms

The oil ministry is considering a scheme to compensate upstream companies for higher costs after GST on E&P services rose to 18 per cent, raising concerns of stranded taxes

India's August fuel demand declines to 11-month low, shows govt data

India is the world's third-largest consumer and importer of oil. The data is a proxy for the country's oil demand

No challenge in using E20 fuel in E10-compliant cars: Renault India

Issuing clarifications on the queries raised by customers related to the use of E20 fuel in vehicles tested and certified for E10, the company said it conducted 'rigorous' durability tests

High levels of Russian crude imports may not last forever, says govt

The ministry was commenting on a recommendation by the panel on imports of crude oil from Russia according to the report of the panel tabled in Parliament today

Govt plans to bring oil firms' private pipelines under PNGRB oversight

Oil ministry plans to amend the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act to bring oil firms' captive pipelines under regulatory oversight, enabling third-party access & uniform safety standards

India drew $36 bn investment from pre-2014 NELP bid rounds: Oil ministry

India attracted over USD 36 billion investment from nine NELP bid rounds held before 2014, and has so far yielded 177 oil and gas discoveries, according to a report commissioned by the Petroleum Ministry. Under the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP), blocks were awarded to bidders promising maximum exploration, allowing them to recover investments from oil and gas they discover and produce before sharing profits with the government. In 2016, this was replaced by a revenue-sharing model, where blocks go to firms offering the highest share of output to the government. The 254 blocks awarded in nine bid rounds of NELP between 1999 and 2010 attracted USD 17.6 billion investment in exploration that led to 67 oil discoveries and 110 gas finds, and another USD 18.64 billion in development of some of those discoveries. The 144 blocks awarded in eight big rounds of Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) from 2018 to 2022 saw USD 1.37 billion investment in exploration, leading to 6 oil ..

Govt tweaks city gas policy, moves to advance quarterly allocations

The government will now allocate natural gas to CNG and piped cooking gas retailers two quarters in advance to give city gas companies greater clarity, the Oil Ministry said Friday. With city gas retailers like Indraprastha Gas Ltd, Mahanagar Gas Ltd and Adani-Total Gas Ltd reporting pressures on margins after the allocation of cheaper administered price or APM gas to them was cut without giving enough advance notice, the ministry decided to tweak the allocation policy. "From Q1 (first quarter) of FY 2025-26 (April 2025 to March 2026 financial year), domestic natural gas allocations for CNG (Transport) and piped natural gas (domestic household cooking gas) segments will be done on a two-quarter advance basis," the ministry said in a statement. Besides the lower-priced APM gas produced from old fields given on a nomination basis, the allocation will also now include gas from new wells drilled on the nomination fields of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India

Govt to pursue $2.81 bn demand from RIL, partners till the end: Puri

The ministry raised the demand recently following the Delhi High Court's decision in the matter last month

Reliance says oil ministry raised $2.81 bn demand in ONGC gas dispute case

Reliance Industries says the petroleum ministry has raised a $2.81 billion demand over a gas migration dispute linked to KG-D6, following a Delhi High Court ruling in the government's favour

India calls for 'energy transition', sees role of fossil fuels in near term

Calling for a nuanced understanding on 'energy transition', India on Tuesday said the shift from polluting fossil fuels to cleaner sources should be just where affordable energy is available to meet needs of developing nations. Speaking at the inaugural session of India Energy Week, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said energy transition "is not outright replacement (of any fuel) but more shifting the primacy of one energy source over another." Developing nations like India meet most of the energy demand from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. While there is a call to shift from the polluting sources to renewables, India feels that move cannot be abrupt, with oil and gas as well as coal continuing to meet energy demand in the period when the cleaner sources are scaled up. "The very notion of 'energy transition' requires a nuanced understanding. It is not outright replacement, but more shifting the primacy of one energy source over another," he said. "The transition isn'

Oil buyers, producers dialogue needed for market stability: Hardeep Puri

He said technological changes such as green hydrogen and the transition to cleaner energy will change the global oil demand landscape in five years