India's Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Travels to Qatar Amid Energy Supply Disruptions

Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to Visit Qatar Amid Efforts to Restore Energy Supplies

Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will embark on a two-day visit to Qatar on April 9-10, in a bid to restore energy supplies from the region. Qatar is India's largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and cooking gas LPG, which had halted supplies following the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East.

The visit comes as New Delhi seeks to secure energy supplies amid heightened geopolitical tensions that have disrupted global fuel trade flows. Qatar is India's single-largest supplier of both LNG and LPG, providing 45% and 20%, respectively, of India's total gas supplies. The US-Iran ceasefire, which was reached on February 28, has rekindled hopes of a resumption of energy supplies from the region.

Qatar's giant LNG export facility was struck during the conflict, leading to the shutdown of production and a declaration of force majeure on gas exports. India relies on imports to meet about half of its natural gas demand and roughly two-thirds of its LPG needs, with the bulk of supplies sourced from the Middle East.

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Discussions during Puri's visit are expected to focus on restoring shipments, reviewing existing agreements, and exploring avenues to strengthen bilateral energy cooperation. He may ask Qatar to prioritize India in the supply of LNG once trade resumes, in an effort to mitigate the impact of rising prices and industrial supply shortages caused by the six-week conflict.