New Delhi: The country’s public sector refineries will postpone maintenance plans due to the ongoing war in West Asia and consequent supply constraints, an official said on Monday.
To ensure stable and uninterrupted fuel supplies, refineries of state-run Indian Oil Corp. (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum Corp. (BPCL) has postponed routine maintenance shutdowns at some of its refineries, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, told reporters here on Monday.
Postponing refinery maintenance becomes critical as India needs regular domestic supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is in short supply as a result of the conflict. The demand for gasoline and diesel is also increasing at a record pace every year. India is the fourth largest refinery in the world with an annual crude processing capacity of 258 million tonnes.
However, the Vadinar refinery Nayara Energy will begin a 35-day maintenance period starting this month, citing unavoidable circumstances and safety issues.
All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude stocks, while adequate stocks of petrol and diesel are maintained and domestic production of LPG from refineries has been increased to support domestic consumption, Sharma said.
LPG supply is affected by the prevailing geopolitical situation, but no drying up has been reported from LPG distributors, she said. “Domestic deliveries of LPG cylinders remain normal, with over 18 million cylinders delivered to households since 1 March 2026.”
It added that India’s domestic LPG production has fallen to around 46,000-47,000 tonnes currently from around 50,000 tonnes in the last week of March 2026. “The decline is due to a change in refinery configuration due to a slight change in the crude oil mix,” she said, adding that there was “sufficient” quantity to meet demand.
Natural gas supplies to operating urea power plants are to increase to around 90% of their average consumption starting Monday, from 70-75% of their six-month average, she said.
A separate official statement said that in the last two days, two Indian-flagged LPG vessels, ‘Green Sanvi’ and ‘Green Asha’, have safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz. Green Sanvi carries about 46,650 tonnes of LPG with 25 seamen on board while Green Asha carries about 15,405 tonnes of LPG with 26 seamen on board.
“Currently, 16 Indian-flagged vessels with 433 Indian seamen remain in the Western Persian Gulf region. DG Shipping continues to closely monitor in coordination with ship owners, RPSL agencies and Indian missions,” the statement said.
