Petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri arrived in Doha on Thursday on a two-day visit, as the West Asia conflict continues to disrupt oil and gas flows, with officials indicating the trip comes at a critical time for securing energy supplies.
“Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri arrived in Doha for a two-day visit. He was welcomed at the airport by Ambassador of India to Qatar Vipul and officials of QatarEnergy,” the Indian Embassy in Qatar said in a post on X.
The visit coincides with a sharp tightening of global LNG markets, with supplies down nearly 20%, while India’s imports from its largest supplier — Qatar- have dropped to record lows in March 2026 amid production outages and transit disruptions.
India depends on imports for about 50% of its natural gas requirement of 195 MMSCMD, with Qatar accounting for nearly 45% of LNG imports, making the disruption particularly significant. India also import 20% LPG from Qatar equivalent to their consumption.
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At the centre of the crisis is QatarEnergy’s Ras Laffan facility — the world’s largest LNG export hub — which has remained offline since early March after attacks on key infrastructure. According to the International Energy Agency, LNG flows from Qatar and the UAE have fallen by over 300 million standard cubic metres per day, equivalent to more than 2 billion cubic metres per week.
Five-Year Force Majeure
Shipping disruptions have further constrained supplies. Data from Kpler shows 15 LNG tankers stranded in the Middle East Gulf, reflecting continued bottlenecks in movement through the Strait of Hormuz.
Officials, requesting anonymity, said the minister is expected to hold discussions with energy stakeholders as markets remain tight and competition for cargoes intensifies.
The urgency is underscored by India’s reliance on about 60 MMSCMD of gas imports from the region, critical for fertiliser, power and city gas distribution.
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Navigating the Blockade
The broader disruption has also highlighted India’s exposure to the Gulf, which accounts for a significant share of its oil, gas and LPG supplies. “We are affected by supply disruptions from West Asia. Any impact or incident there will impact us… we are trying to pick up cargoes from other sources,” said Sujata Sharma, joint secretary, petroleum ministry earlier in a media briefing.
With demand firm and supplies constrained, the visit comes at a crucial juncture for India’s energy security.
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