MINISTER OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS AND PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI MANI SHANKAR AIYAR)
(a) & (b): The Government is formulating a Pipeline Policy which envisages the progressive development of a nation-wide gas grid in a competitive environment, involving both the public sector and the private sector. The implementation of different pipeline segments will, inter-alia, depend upon achieving appropriate tie-ups for sources of supply and marketing of gas.
Gas pipelines in the country have been laid and are being laid by the companies on commercial considerations. At present, GAIL, a public sector undertaking under the administrative control of this Ministry, is executing the Dahej - Uran pipeline and the Vijaipur - Kota pipeline projects. GAIL plans to implement various other pipeline projects for which the Detailed Feasibility Reports (DFRs) are under preparation. The Gas Transportation & Infrastructure Company Limited (GTICL) and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Limited (GSPCL) also propose to lay gas pipelines in the country.
(c): As against an estimated demand of around 150 million standard cubic metre per day (MMSCMD) of natural gas, the total availability at present is around 92 MMSCMD. The efforts made to increase availability of natural gas include augmentation of domestic gas availability under the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP), import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and initiatives to import gas through transnational pipelines.
As regards LPG, the demand is met through a combination of domestic production and imports. During 2004-05, the total demand was 9938 TMT, out of which, 7737 TMT was met through domestic production and 2217 TMT was imported.
(d) & (e): The gas available in the Cauvery basin is being fully utilized by the consumers in various parts of Tamil Nadu. During the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2005-06, an average of 2.069 MMSCMD and 2.156 MMSCMD respectively of gas was supplied from the Cauvery basin.
