The Iran war has already rattled India's liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market. Now another energy artery is under scrutiny: the country's rapidly expanding network of piped natural gas (PNG) - gas delivered by pipeline to homes and businesses. Demand for this natural gas comes from fertiliser plants, industry and gas-fired power, as well as city gas networks - which supply PNG to households and CNG (compressed natural gas) to vehicles.
That push is mirrored on the ground: India now has more than 15 million PNG connections, a number rising fast as policymakers nudge households to swap cylinders for gas on tap. At the same time, demand from CNG vehicles has also climbed steadily, with CNG now India's second-largest auto fuel after petrol.
If tankers carrying LPG struggle to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the question in many urban Indian homes is simple - could the gas in their kitchen pipelines be next to feel the squeeze? Probably not - at least not immediately. India's piped gas supply is a blend of domestic production and imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). About half of India's PNG supply is domestic gas drilled from onshore and offshore fields - for example by companies such as ONGC and Reliance. The balance is met through LNG imports.
'No disruption is expected for homes and vehicles [using piped gas]. The government has given priority to these two sectors,' says Rahul Chopra, managing director for the Haryana City Gas Distribution Limited. However, about 2,200 of Chopra's industrial and commercial customers are facing a government-mandated 20% supply cut, as gas is diverted to households and vehicles.
So far, the flow has not stopped entirely. Tankers loaded before the conflict escalated are still sailing. 'Supplies have not been completely disrupted yet. Cargoes that loaded in Qatar before the conflict escalated are still arriving in Asia,' explains Go Katayama, a principal insight analyst for LNG and natural gas.
Shipping data show that exports from Qatar's giant Ras Laffan LNG complex have been halted, meaning these could be among the last shipments until safe passage through Hormuz resumes. While the immediate risk for urban consumers is price rather than shortage, Chopra notes that a price rise is expected if disruption at Hormuz persists.
That push is mirrored on the ground: India now has more than 15 million PNG connections, a number rising fast as policymakers nudge households to swap cylinders for gas on tap. At the same time, demand from CNG vehicles has also climbed steadily, with CNG now India's second-largest auto fuel after petrol.
If tankers carrying LPG struggle to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the question in many urban Indian homes is simple - could the gas in their kitchen pipelines be next to feel the squeeze? Probably not - at least not immediately. India's piped gas supply is a blend of domestic production and imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). About half of India's PNG supply is domestic gas drilled from onshore and offshore fields - for example by companies such as ONGC and Reliance. The balance is met through LNG imports.
'No disruption is expected for homes and vehicles [using piped gas]. The government has given priority to these two sectors,' says Rahul Chopra, managing director for the Haryana City Gas Distribution Limited. However, about 2,200 of Chopra's industrial and commercial customers are facing a government-mandated 20% supply cut, as gas is diverted to households and vehicles.
So far, the flow has not stopped entirely. Tankers loaded before the conflict escalated are still sailing. 'Supplies have not been completely disrupted yet. Cargoes that loaded in Qatar before the conflict escalated are still arriving in Asia,' explains Go Katayama, a principal insight analyst for LNG and natural gas.
Shipping data show that exports from Qatar's giant Ras Laffan LNG complex have been halted, meaning these could be among the last shipments until safe passage through Hormuz resumes. While the immediate risk for urban consumers is price rather than shortage, Chopra notes that a price rise is expected if disruption at Hormuz persists.
