Petroleum Minister Puri to visit Qatar to discuss LNG supply amid West Asia crisis

NEW DELHI: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri is set to visit Qatar between April 9 and April 10 to discuss liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies amid disruptions triggered by the ongoing Iran conflict, the ministry said on Thursday.

In a post on X, the Ministry said, "Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Hardeep S. Puri, will be on an official visit to the State of Qatar on April 9–10, 2026."

India has been ensuring adequate gas availability for households, as global supply chains remain under stress.

Earlier, state-run QatarEnergy last month declared force majeure on long-term LNG supply contracts for up to five years, affecting shipments to countries such as Italy, Belgium, South Korea and China.

While India was not specifically mentioned, it remains one of the key buyers of LNG from Qatar.

Iranian strikes on Qatar since the outbreak of the conflict in late February have damaged infrastructure, accounting for nearly 17 per cent of the country’s LNG export capacity, according to QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi.