Oman displaces US as India's leading LNG supplier in September
In a significant shift in India's energy imports, Oman surpassed the United States to become the country's largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in September. According to data from Kpler, India imported 585,000 tonnes of LNG from Oman last month, marking an 11.6% increase from August and securing a 27% share of total LNG imports. Meanwhile, the US slipped to third place after a 59% decline in exports to India, accounting for just 16% of September's imports.
Nigeria emerged as the second-largest supplier with 351,000 tonnes, although this represented a 35% drop from the previous month. Qatar, once India's dominant LNG supplier with a market share of around 45%, fell to sixth place, supplying only 94,000 tonnes. Other key suppliers included the UAE with 311,000 tonnes and Angola with 205,000 tonnes.
The decline in Qatari supplies was attributed to disruptions caused by Iran's strike on Ras Laffan Industrial City in March, a crucial LNG production hub. India's overall LNG imports also decreased by 14% month-on-month, from 2.5 million tonnes in August to 2.17 million tonnes in September.
India has been actively diversifying its energy sources to mitigate geopolitical risks. The country imports nearly half of its LNG requirements, with a significant portion of shipments from West Asian suppliers transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts noted that while crude oil imports are relatively insulated due to diversified sourcing, LNG and LPG imports remain vulnerable to supply and shipping disruptions in the Gulf.