NewsGate Press Network
The Central government has directed major oil companies to build additional 30-day LPG stocks in wake of prevailing situation in West Asia.
These oil marketing companies (OMCs) are Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum.
On Friday the 29th of May 2026, during the Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Crisis in West Asia, the rep from the Petroleum Ministry, Joint Secretary Sujata Sharma said “we are working on the strategic reserves. Oil marketing companies have been asked to work out (a plan) to have LPG reserves for a minimum of 30 days with them, and they are working on it”.
Briefing media Sujata Sharma added that the finer detail of the implementation of this proposal is being worked out.
Whether this additional storage will be in underground caverns—as in the case of strategic crude oil reserves—or in overground tankage will also be worked out by the OMCs depending on the cost considerations and feasibility.
The government’s move to increase the storage capacity for LPG, which is used as a cooking fuel by over 33 crore Indian households, comes-in after LPG has been the most impacted energy segment due to the on-going West Asia crises after movement of ships and vessels across the Strait of Hormuz came to full stop.
Almost 90% of LPG imported in India travels from the Strait of Hormuz.
The dislocation in the supply chain has forced the government to ration LPG supplies to industrial and commercial consumers in a bid to prioritise crores of households that depend on the fuel to run their kitchens.
