Petroleum Minister Puri to visit Qatar to discuss LNG supply amid West Asia crisis

New Delhi, April 9 Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri is set to visit Qatar between April 9 and April 10 to discuss liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies amid disruptions triggered by the ongoing Iran conflict, the ministry said on Thursday.

In a post on X, the Ministry said, "Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Hardeep S. Puri, will be on an official visit to the State of Qatar on April 9–10, 2026."

India has been ensuring adequate gas availability for households, as global supply chains remain under stress.

Earlier, state-run QatarEnergy last month declared force majeure on long-term LNG supply contracts for up to five years, affecting shipments to countries such as Italy, Belgium, South Korea and China.

While India was not specifically mentioned, it remains one of the key buyers of LNG from Qatar.

Iranian strikes on Qatar since the outbreak of the conflict in late February have damaged infrastructure, accounting for nearly 17 per cent of the country’s LNG export capacity, according to QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi.

The attacks on two of Qatar’s 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids (GTL) facilities have taken offline an estimated 12.8 million tonnes per annum of LNG output. Repairs could take between three and five years, he said.

The disruption is estimated to cost Qatar about $20 billion in annual revenue losses and has raised concerns over global energy security, particularly among key importers in Europe and Asia.

Earlier in March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and strongly condemned the attacks on energy infrastructure that have disrupted global supplies. Both leaders also discussed the importance of ensuring safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,

Meanwhile, Indian companies have turned to alternative suppliers in the US, Australia and Russia for LNG, primarily used for industrial purposes.

India imported around 25.5 million tonnes of LNG in 2025, and the government aims to increase the share of natural gas in the country’s primary energy mix to 15 per cent by 2030.

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