US Energy Supplants Gulf Supplies as West Asia Disruptions Bite

India's energy import map is shifting towards the United States as disruptions in West Asia restrict supplies of cooking gas and natural gas from traditional Gulf exporters. The country imported about 0.62 million tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the US in August, after buying 0.89 million tonnes in July, according to data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler.

The change has coincided with a sharp drop in supplies from India's traditional Gulf partners. The UAE supplied only about 140,000 tonnes of LPG in August, while Qatar's shipments stood at around 60,000 tonnes. Saudi Arabia supplied no LPG to India in either July or August.

A similar shift is visible in liquefied natural gas (LNG). India's LNG purchases from the US increased to about 0.75 million tonnes in August from 0.72 million tonnes in July.