Question : REQUIREMENT OF GAS

(a) the average capacity of gas based fertilizer manufacturing plants in the country;

(b) the quantum of gas required by these plants at full load;

(c) the quantum of indigenous natural gas available for these manufacturing plants;

(d) the quantum of long term contracted Regenerated Liquefied Natural Gas available for these plants;

(e) whether the gas based fertilizer manufacturing plants capacity is lying idle in the country on account of inadequate availability of gas on long term basis;

(f) if so, the steps taken by the Government for utilisation of idle capacity of gas based plants;

(g) whether the Government is considering to allocate more natural gas for manufacturing plants; and

(h) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SHRI SRIKANT KUMAR JENA)

(a): The Fertilizers Association of India has intimated that the average annual capacity based on natural gas to produce urea fertilizer in the country is 18 million MT.

(b): The quantum of natural gas required by the plants to produce 18 million MT of urea is about 46.5 MMSCMD (million standard cubic meter per day),

(c); The quantum of indigenously available gas including gas from KG Basin is 35.4 MMSCMD.

(d). The contract on long term for supply of Regenerated (Re-gasiried) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is about 10 MMSCMD. There is shortfall of about 1.2 MMSCMD of gas in gas based manufacturing plants. The shortfall is met either through purchase of LNG in spot market or use of naphtha.

(e): As of now none of the urea manufacturing capacity based on gas is lying idle.

(f): In view of (e) above, question does not arise.

(g) & (h): The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has intimated that the fertilizers sector has been given the first priority in allocation of domestic gas and during 2011-12, it was supplied 30.85 MMSCMD out of 114.68 MMSCMD gas sourced domestically.