September 5, 2026: India’s move to diversify its LPG procurement by sourcing more supplies from the U.S. may not be the silver bullet that helps it weather the current crisis, despite the U.S. being a major LPG producer and expanding its export terminal capacity, James Rockall, CEO and Managing Director of the World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA), told The Hindu.

Separately, he said India should also focus on expanding its LPG storage capacity and managing freight costs to further strengthen its position in the present global market.

Diversifying an imperative for India

Speaking in a broader context, Mr. Rockall emphasised that diversifying sources of LPG procurement was imperative for India to respond to the supply crisis in West Asia, with the U.S. emerging as an “obvious choice.

“It is not the magic solution that is going to lead you out of the crisis because India is not alone in trying to procure from the U.S. It already has a lot of its product tied up in term deals,” he said. “Getting access to that product in the short term is never going to be easy, but I have been very impressed with the way India has responded to this proactively.”

Mr. Rockall also pointed to other potential sources of LPG that India could explore, including Canada, Algeria, Argentina, Australia and West Africa.

Shipping and storage

The CEO of the industry association also said Indian refiners should actively manage freight costs to take advantage of lower free-on-board (FOB) prices when they arise.

(Source: The Hindu)