The Centre has mandated oil and gas companies to disclose detailed data on output, imports, stocks and consumption to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), invoking statutory powers to tighten monitoring of the energy supply chain as disruptions in West Asia strain supplies.
“PPAC was getting it, but now with legal force it will be better implementable,” said Sujata Sharma, joint secretary (marketing & oil refinery), ministry of petroleum and natural gas, signalling a shift from voluntary reporting to enforceable compliance.
From Voluntary to Enforceable
The move comes amid mounting supply stress after disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor.
India imports about 88% of its crude oil, 50% of natural gas and nearly 60% of LPG, with a significant share historically routed through West Asia. While wildflows have been partly stabilised through alternative sourcing, LPG and gas availability — especially for industrial and commercial users — has tightened.
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India, the world’s second-largest LPG importer, is facing one of its most severe cooking gas supply disruptions in decades, with shipments from the Gulf impacted. The government has already directed refiners to maximise LPG output and cut supplies to industrial users to protect household demand.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas (Furnishing of Information) Order, 2026, notified on March 18 under the Essential Commodities Act, brings the entire petroleum ecosystem under mandatory reporting. It covers refiners, oil marketing companies, LNG importers, pipeline operators, city gas distributors and petrochemical firms across both public and private sectors.
Explaining the rationale, the government said it considers it necessary “in the public interest to establish a centralised institutional mechanism for the systematic collection, compilation and analysis of such information for effective monitoring of the petroleum and natural gas supply chain.”
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The notification mandates that “every entity engaged in the production, processing, refining, storage, transportation, import, export, marketing, distribution or consumption… shall furnish to PPAC information relating to production, imports, exports, stocks, storage, allocation, transportation, supply, consumption and utilisation.”
It further specifies that “the information shall be furnished in such form, manner… and periodicity… and may include daily, weekly, monthly or other periodic returns,” giving the government flexibility to seek high-frequency data depending on the situation.
Overriding Confidentiality
One of the most significant provisions of the order is the override of confidentiality clauses. “The obligation to furnish information… shall apply notwithstanding anything contained in any contract… and no entity shall refuse… on the ground that such information is commercially sensitive or proprietary,” the notification said.
Analysts said the move will enable faster and more targeted policy responses during supply disruptions. “Collection of data from companies will help India take quicker and more targeted interventions, including calibrating export flows or imposing restrictions where required to safeguard energy security,” said Prashant Vasisht, vice president at Icra.
Officials said the initiative is aimed at improving visibility over supply chains, enabling better inventory management and prioritisation of critical sectors such as power, fertilisers and household LPG during disruptions.
The order designates PPAC as the nodal agency for data collection and analysis, with companies required to upgrade internal systems to comply with the tighter reporting framework.
The move signals a broader shift in the government’s approach to energy security — moving beyond supply diversification to closer monitoring of the entire value chain as India prepares to navigate prolonged volatility in global oil and gas markets.
TOPICSCrude oilThis article was first uploaded on March nineteen, twenty twenty-six, at thirteen minutes past eleven in the night.