Petroleum Minister, Murli Deora, who is on a three-day maiden visit to the Gulf region, met the Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Energy and Industry Minister, Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah, and sought an additional 5 million tones of liquefied natural gas from Qatar to meet LNG shortage. The minister has also suggested setting up of a gas-fired fertilizer plant in the Gulf nation to meet its urea requirements, media reported.
The minister added that Attiyah has promised to look into the matter.
Presently, India buys 5 million tons a year of LNG from RasGas of Qatar under a 25-year contract. The ex-ship price of $2.53 million British thermal unit (mmBtu) is considered a steal in current times of LNG prices breaching $20 per mmBtu.
Earlier, Qatar rescued India by supplying 1.5 million tons of more LNG on a short-term contract basis to re-commence the beleaguered Dabhol power plant in Maharashtra, when other nations sought review of gas price due to increase in prices of crude oil.
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