India’s largest gas marketing company GAIL (India) Ltd is assessing possible cuts in natural gas supplies to customers after a force majeure notice from key supplier Petronet LNG Ltd, triggered by vessel disruptions amid the escalating Middle East conflict.
The development follows the widening war involving the US and Israel against Iran, which has disrupted fuel shipments from the Gulf and affected India’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, particularly from Qatar.
GAIL said LNG allocation from Petronet has been reduced to zero with effect from March 4. The company added that the full impact of the disruption cannot yet be quantified.
Petronet LNG, India’s largest LNG importer, had earlier issued a force majeure notice to its supplier QatarEnergy as well as to domestic buyers such as GAIL and Indian Oil Corporation, citing difficulties in moving LNG cargoes.
The company said its LNG tankers were unable to reach the loading terminal at Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar due to disruptions in regional shipping routes.
The conflict in the region has severely affected energy shipments through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, through which a large share of global oil and LNG supplies passes.
Following attacks on vessels in the area, the movement of oil and LNG tankers through the strait has slowed sharply, raising concerns over supply security for major importers such as India.
GAIL said it will evaluate whether gas supplies to customers need to be curtailed in view of the disruption.
According to earlier reports, both GAIL and Indian Oil Corporation have already reduced supplies to certain industrial customers as the situation evolves.
However, GAIL noted that LNG supplies from other sources and suppliers remain unaffected for now.
India imported about 27 million tonnes of LNG in 2024-25, accounting for nearly half of its total natural gas consumption, according to government data. A significant share of these imports comes from Qatar, making any disruption in Gulf energy shipments a concern for the country’s energy security and industrial fuel supply.
