August 23, 2023 [LNG Prime]- India’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports dropped in July compared to the same month last year, according to the preliminary data from the oil ministry’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell.

The country imported 2.23 billion cubic meters, or about 1.7 million tonnes of LNG, in July, a drop of 1.1 percent compared to the same month in 2022, PPAC said.

During April-July, India took 9.98 bcm of LNG, or some 7.6 million tonnes, up by 4.7 percent, PPAC said.

India paid $2.1 billion for July LNG imports, up from $1.9 billion last year, while costs rose from $6.6 billion in the April-July period last year to $6.7 billion during the same four months this year, it said.

As per India’s natural gas production, it reached 3.12 bcm, up by 8.3 percent compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.

During April-July, gas production rose by 2.2 percent to 11.68 bcm, PPAC said.

At the moment, India imports LNG via seven facilities with a combined capacity of about 47.7 million tonnes.

India’s Adani and France’s TotalEnergies started supplying natural gas in April to the grid from their 5 mtpa Dhamra LNG import facility located in Odisha, on India’s east coast, as part of the terminal’s commissioning phase.

During April-July, Petronet LNG’s 17.5 mtpa Dahej terminal operated at 95.7 percent capacity, while Shell’s 5 mtpa Hazira terminal operated at 33.3 percent capacity, PPAC said.

The Dhamra LNG terminal operated at 19 percent capacity, it said.

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