LNG

Indian liquefied natural gas imports showed a long-awaited surge of over 17 percent in the full fiscal year to the end of March as growing domestic gas output was offset by falling LNG prices and the nation’s increasing demand for gas marked by a new West Coast terminal set to start commercial operations soon

Indian liquefied natural gas imports jumped by 10 percent as lower prices helped encourage buyers while domestic gas output also increased along with the nation’s gas demand.

Indian Oil Corp. (IOC), the country’s main oil refiner and importer and the owner of the nation's only East Coast LNG import terminal at Ennore, posted a 16 percent increase in net profits even as margins were tight in the petrochemicals industry and losses were made on partly subsidized fuels.

Indian liquefied natural gas imports dropped by over 7 percent, even more than in the previous month, as the costs of LNG shipments soared and the nation’s supply security was enabled by offshore domestic natural gas pipeline supplies that jumped more than 26 percent.

Aker Solutions of Norway has signed a contract with the Norwegian-based development company Crown LNG for front-end engineering and design for the proposed Kakinada regasification and import project proposed for offshore the East Coast of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and for all-year operations in the Bay of Bengal.

A Singapore company has broken ground and started construction of infrastructure for what will be India’s eighth liquefied natural gas import terminal when it starts up in 2021 and only the second on the East Coast.

Indian Oil Corp., owner of the only liquefied natural gas import terminal on the East Coast of India at Kamarajar Port in Tamil Nadu, has signed an accord with ExxonMobil to cooperate on spreading the reach of natural gas availability in the country.

Indian liquefied natural gas terminal developer H-Energy and Kakinada Seaports signed an agreement for an LNG regasification and reloading terminal to be sited at Kakinada port in Andhra Pradesh, which would be only the second such facility on the East Coast of India.

Kakinada Seaports controls the concession for the Kakinada Deep Water Port under an agreement with the government of Andhra Pradesh.

“H-Energy shall develop an LNG hub at the Kakinada Port catering to the needs of domestic customers in the state of Andhra Pradesh and shall supply LNG through small LNG vessels to H-energy’s proposed Kukrahati LNG terminal in the state of West Bengal and neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar,” explained H-Energy.

Darshan Hiranandani, Chief Executive of H-Energy, said the company was excited to partner with Kakinada Seaports for this East Coast project.

“We believe that Kakinada with its existing breakwater and deep draft combined with its close proximity to various natural gas pipelines makes this an efficient and successful project for our customers, our partners, and ourselves,” said the CEO.

“The PSA along with its associated agreements envisages a long-term association between the two organizations contributing towards India’s growth story, especially, the vision of the Government to promote a gas-based clean economy," he added.

Depending on the timing, the Kakinada terminal could be only the second on the East Coast of India after the start-up in March 2019 of the first facility at Kamarajar Port in Tamil Nadu.

The Kamarajar terminal is owned by Indian Oil Corp., the refining and fuel marketing company, and has 5 MTPA of import capacity and two tanks each with storage of 180,000 cubic metres.

The Hiranandani group also has plans to deploy a floating storage and regasification import project at Jaigarh port, south of Mumbai, by the end of 2019.

The H-Energy subsidiary will operate the Jaigarh terminal with annual capacity of 4 MTPA of LNG and with re-loading capabilities.

H-Energy has explained that the FSRU charter to H-Energy is for a period of five years and the ship will arrive at the LNG jetty at Jaigarh just before the start-up.

Most of the onshore infrastructure work has almost been completed by Engineers India Ltd, a project construction company.

H-Energy said the West Coast facility would be of great benefit to Maharashtra state in western India by providing clean fuel for transportation and for city-gas use.

When operational, the regasified LNG will be supplied to customers through the pipeline connected to national gas grids at the city of Dabhol.

The facility would be the fifth LNG import terminal located near Mumbai, with three of them located at Hazira, Dahej and Dabhol for use by importers Shell, Petronet LNG and Gas Authority of India respectively.

A fourth is mechanically completed at Mundra. It is owned by Gujarat State Petroleum and the Adani Group, though has yet to be fully commissioned.

H-Energy also recently signed a cooperation accord with Russian company Novatek, operator of the Yamal LNG plant in Siberia and developer of the Arctic LNG II project.

Novatek said the memorandum of understanding envisaged cooperation in LNG supplies to India on a long-term basis, joint investment in future LNG terminals of H-Energy and in Russian LNG projects.

The Hiranandani conglomerate and Novatek said they also planned to establish a joint venture to market LNG and natural gas to end-customers in India, Bangladesh and other markets.

The Indian Hiranandani group said a floating storage and regasification import project at Jaigarh port, south of the West Coast city of Mumbai, is on scheduled to start commercial operations by the fourth quarter of 2019, a year behind schedule.

The Indian Hiranandani group said a floating storage and regasification import project at Jaigarh port near the West Coast city of Mumbai is on scheduled to start commercial operations by the fourth quarter of 2018.