State-run refineries to delay maintenance amid West Asia supply crunch

New Delhi: Public sector refineries in the country will delay their maintenance schedules due to the ongoing war in West Asia and the resulting supply constraints, an official said on Monday.

To ensure a stable and continued supply of fuels, refineries of state-run Indian Oil Corp. (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum Corp. (BPCL) have postponed routine maintenance shutdowns at some of their refineries, Sujata Sharma, joint secretary at the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, told reporters on Monday.

Delaying refinery maintenance becomes critical as India needs a regular domestic supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is in short supply amid conflict. Demand for petrol and diesel is also increasing at a record growth pace every year. India is the fourth-largest refiner in the world, with an annual crude processing capacity of 258 million tonnes.

However, the Vadinar refinery of Nayara Energy will move ahead with its 35-day maintenance starting this month, citing unavoidable circumstances and safety issues.

All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, while sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are being maintained, and the domestic LPG production from refineries has been increased to support domestic consumption, said Sharma.

LPG supply is affected by the prevailing geopolitical situation, but no dry-outs have been reported at LPG distributorships, she said. "Domestic LPG cylinder deliveries remain normal, with over 18 crore cylinders delivered to households since 1 March 2026."

She added that India’s daily domestic LPG production declined to roughly 46,000-47,000 tonnes at present 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 crude oil mix,” she said, adding that there is a "sufficient" quantity to meet the demand.

Natural gas supplies to operating urea plants are set to increase to about 90% of their average consumption from Monday, up from 70-75% of their six-month average, she said.

A separate official statement said that in the past two days, two Indian-flagged LPG vessels, 'Green Sanvi' and 'Green Asha', safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz. Green Sanvi is carrying about 46,650 tonnes of LPG with 25 seafarers onboard, while Green Asha is carrying about 15,405 tonnes of LPG with 26 seafarers onboard.

"At present, 16 Indian-flagged vessels with 433 Indian seafarers remain in the western Persian Gulf region. The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) continues close monitoring in coordination with ship owners, RPSL agencies and Indian Missions," the statement said.