National Gas Grid

National Gas Grid consists of different pipeline sections to be executed by different entities having different completion time schedules. The time schedules vary for these pipelines and is dependent upon grant of clearances by various State Governments and settlement of court cases. The Petroleum Ministry has identified various pipelines and spur line pipeline sections to be developed to complete the grid.

The Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan recently informed the Rajya Sabha that the aims and objectives of National Gas Grid are as follows: (i) To remove regional imbalance within the country with regard to access of natural gas and provide clean and green fuel throughout the country; ii) To connect gas sources to major demand centres and ensure availability of gas to consumers in various sectors; and (iii) Development of City Gas Distribution Networks in various cities for supply of CNG and PNG.

At present, the country has 15,000 km of natural gas pipeline infrastructure and an additional 15,000 km of pipeline is required for completion of a national gas grid. Out of this additional 15,000 km, PNGRB has authorized entities for laying of about 11,900 km of pipelines and 1,175 km of pipeline is pending for award due to court case. Further, 2500 km of pipeline has been identified for development through PPP mode.

The onus for arranging of funds for laying of natural gas pipelines vests with the entity authorized by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB). It is being envisaged to have a National Gas Grid of nearly 30,000 km in length by 2017, with a capacity of 875 million standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd), to take natural gas to different markets across the length and breadth of India. At present, the existing gas pipelines have a capacity to transport around 230 million metric standard cubic metres of gas (mmscmd) of gas.