India is heavily dependent on imports for its energy needs viz. 83% in crude oil and 45% in gas. Prime Minister, N Modi has proclaimed his government’s commitment to reduce the import dependence on oil to 67% by 2022 and further to 50% by 2030. Meanwhile, two major developments on the global front are giving jitters to our policy makers. First, the OPEC [Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries] – a cartel of exporters from the middle-east – which supplies over 80% of India’s oil imports – has decided to continue their planned cut in output [a strategy that was initiated from January 1, 2017]. Together with reduction in supplies from non-OPEC countries led by Russia, this will continue to affect global...
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Category: Oil & Gas
LPG – don’t involve OMCs in subsidy transfer
In a meeting with ministry of petroleum and natural gas [MPNG], parallel marketers of packaged domestic liquefied petroleum gas [LPG] viz. Reliance Industries Limited [RIL], Nayara Energy [formerly Essar Oil] and Total have demanded that the government allow them to have a level-playing field with the state-run oil marketing companies [OMCs] viz. Indian Oil Corporation Limited [IOCL], Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited [BPCL] and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited [HPCL]. At present, only IOCL, BPCL and HPCL are allowed to sell subsidized LPG wherein consumers pay the full price upfront, but eligible beneficiaries [those with annual income < Rs 10 lakh] subsequently get back the subsidy amount in their bank account. Further, all domestic LPG producers have to supply their total output...
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Pricing freedom – not a panacea for India’s energy security
A committee under Dr Rajiv Kumar, vice-chairman, NITI Aayog on ‘Enhancing Domestic Oil & Gas Exploration and Production’ has recommended taking away 97 oil and gas fields – out of a total of 149 marginal fields – from public sector undertakings [PSUs] viz. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation [ONGC] and Oil India Limited [OIL], auction to the private entities and giving them ‘complete freedom of marketing and pricing’ on supplies from these fields. The committee has also recommended that ONGC/OIL should make efforts to improve performance of the remaining 52 fields to achieve specified production and financial targets within a given time frame failing which even these will be taken back by the government for privatization. Further, in respect of...
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Responsible oil pricing is the key
There are limits to the influence that can be brought to bear on the actions of oil producers. Enticing MNCs to participate in Indian exploration efforts and working towards alternative payment arrangements, however, is doable Interacting with global leaders from the energy sector on October 15, 2018, in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged three major issues: First, while expressing concern over the steep increase in international price of crude oil, he urged all leading producers/exporters to be more responsible in fixing the price to bring it down from the current high to a reasonable level. Second, keeping in mind the overarching need to increase domestic production India, he asked them to consider investing in exploration and development of...
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Oil retailing – end PSUs monopoly
At the current juncture, when the economy is battling the consequences of the steep increase in the international price of crude [India depends on imports for over 80% of its oil requirements] and there is an urgent need to mitigate the adverse effects, logically the focus has to shift to explore all potential areas for cost reduction. An important area relates to enticing private sector in marketing of petroleum products which today is the monopoly of public sector undertakings [PSUs]. The infrastructure for storage, handling, import terminals, transportation, marketing and distribution of petrol, diesel, LPG, kerosene etc is dominated by oil PSUs viz. Indian Oil Corporation Limited [IOCL], Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited [BPCL] and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited [HPCL]. Out of...
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Urgent need for ‘responsible’ oil pricing
Interacting with global leaders from the energy sector that included ministers of Saudi Arabia and UAE – prominent members of OPEC [Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries] – besides CEOs of leading MNCs on October 15, 2018 in New Delhi, prime minister, Narendra Modi flagged three major issues:- First, expressing concern over the steep increase in the international price of crude oil [and concomitant increase in prices of all petroleum products viz. diesel, petrol, ATF, LPG etc], he urged all leading producers/exporters to be more responsible in fixing the price to bring it down from current high to reasonable level. Second, keeping in mind the overarching need to increase domestic production India, he asked them to consider investing in exploration and...
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Fuel woes – CED cut could be catastrophic
With the petrol and diesel prices crossing a new landmark of Rs 80 per litre and Rs 70 per liter [in Delhi], there is a big hue and cry in political circles. The sharks prowling for an opportunity to lambast Modi – government are demanding a steep cut in the central excise duty [CED] to enable corresponding reduction in the price to consumers. They argue that during the last 4 years, the centre allegedly mopped Rs 1100,000 crore from increase in CED. A portion of this money could be used to giver relief, they contend. The international price of crude had declined from US$ 117 per barrel in November 2014 to US$ 28 per barrel in January 2016. Leveraging this,...
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Royalty/cess on oil – Modi ends a bizarre practice
In the past, governments have used profit making public sector undertakings [PSUs] in the oil and gas sector viz. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation [ONGC] and Oil India Limited [OIL] for reining in fiscal deficit that was getting out of control – most of the times – due to profligacy in revenue expenditure triggered by sheer populism to garner votes. The prominent measures used were asking them to give discounts on sale of their crude output to downstream oil PSUs such as Indian Oil Corporation [IOCL], Bharat Petroleum Corporation [BPCL] and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation [HPCL] so that the latter in turn, could sell petroleum products viz. LPG, kerosene et at subsidized price to the consumers; insisting on high revenue share...
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Shun differential pricing of gas
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set an ambitious target of cutting India’s import dependence for oil from existing around 80% to 67% by 2022 and further down to 50% by 2030. To meet the target, his government has taken several initiatives to create a conducive ‘policy’ and ‘regulatory’ environment for boosting domestic production of hydrocarbons. A path-breaking policy initiative was introduction in July, 2017 of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy [HELP] in place of the subsisting New Exploration and Licensing Policy [NELP] that was launched in 1999. Also dubbed as Open Acreage Licensing Policy [OALP], under HELP, bidders can get a single license for exploration and production of conventional hydrocarbons such as oil, natural gas as well as unconventional including shale...
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Fuel price reduction: the ball is in the states’ court
The steep increase in the prices of petrol and diesel, by over Rs 3.5 per litre each, after the assembly elections in Karnataka has yet again built up pressure on the Narendra Modi government to reduce excise duty on fuel. Between November 2014 and January 2016, excise duty on petrol went up from Rs 9.48 per litre to Rs 21.48 per litre; on diesel, the increase was even sharper, from Rs 3.56 per litre to Rs 17.33 a litre. That coincided with a steep decline in the international price of crude oil from $117 per barrel in November 2014 to a low of $27 per barrel in January 2016. Thereafter, crude price moved up gradually to $40 per barrel by...
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