Fuel supplies stable, adequate stocks available despite West Asia conflict; all Indian crew safe after vessel fire: Govt
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The Centre on Monday said supplies of crude oil, LPG, and natural gas remain stable despite the ongoing tensions in West Asia while assuring that adequate stocks of petroleum products and fertilizers are available across the country.
Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing, Praveen M. Khanooja, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said India has sufficient inventories of petrol, diesel, and LPG, with domestic production ramped up to meet demand. "Despite the ongoing situation in West Asia, supplies of crude oil, LPG and natural gas remain stable. We have adequate stocks of petrol, diesel and LPG available in the country," Khanooja said.
He said domestic LPG production has been maximised, with refineries and fractionators producing 52,000-53,000 metric tonnes per day, nearly 60% higher than pre-crisis levels.
According to the ministry, there have been no reports of LPG shortages at distributorships. Delivery backlogs have been brought down to fewer than four days, while 99% of LPG cylinder bookings are now made online. Compliance with the Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) system has reached around 96%.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Shipping said all 24 Indian seafarers aboard the vessel MT Marivex are safe following a fire incident reported on the ship on Monday afternoon.
"A fire incident was reported on the vessel MT Marivex at around 1:30 PM today. There were 24 Indian seafarers on board at the time of the incident. Based on preliminary information received, all Indian seafarers are presently safe," said Opesh Kumar Sharma, Director, Ministry of Shipping. He added that authorities are coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions abroad, the Indian Navy and the Ministry of Defence to ensure the crew's safety.
On the agriculture front, the government said fertilizer availability remains comfortable ahead of the ongoing Kharif sowing season. Aparna S. Sharma, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, said procurement for the Kharif season has reached 86.65 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), representing 22.57% of the total seasonal requirement.
Farmers have also procured 11.17 LMT of organic manure so far, compared with 3.20 LMT during the corresponding period last year, reflecting growing adoption of organic nutrient sources. "There is currently no major challenge in fertilizer availability. Domestic production and imports are continuing smoothly," Sharma said.
She added that a total of 147.40 LMT of fertilizers have been produced or imported so far while more than 25,000 metric tonnes of imported urea, DAP, and NPK fertilizers have arrived at Indian ports during June.