August 3, 2026: India has secured adequate supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to meet demand till September by widening the sourcing of the fuel from the US, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Angola following Iranian attacks on Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, the world's largest LNG production and export hub.

The development is significant for the world’s fourth-largest LNG importer. Gas supplies to India were a serious concern after the US-Israel war on Iran broke out on 28 February, forcing the government to restrict industrial use.

LNG in India is used mainly by fertilizer manufacturers, in city gas distribution and as a transport fuel. The curbs on industrial use have gradually been eased although there are no signs of peace in West Asia in the near future.

“The state-run oil and gas companies and refiners have two months of supplies already tied up. So, in the near term, any crunch is not expected,” said an official aware of the developments.

The US has emerged as a major supplier of LNG to India over the past few months, while West African countries including Angola and Nigeria have also become key sources of the energy commodity for India.

The US was the top supplier of LNG to India during the April-May period, with cargoes valued at $728.29 million, an over threefold increase from $199.92 million a year ago, data from the ministry of commerce and industry showed.

The other key suppliers were Nigeria ($580 million), Oman ($517.9 million), Angola ($301 million) and Trinidad ($142.56 million). Before the war, Qatar supplied about 50% of India’s LNG

requirements, followed by the UAE, the US and Oman. Oman and the UAE are the only primary West Asian suppliers now. QatarEnergy stopped producing LNG and declared force majeure after Iranian missile attacks on Ras Laffan Industrial City in March. Experts indicated that the damaged LNG facilities could take three to five years to repair.

(Source: The Mint)