BPCL, ONGC and Mitsui's Rs 5,000 crore LNG terminal on the back burner

Over two years after the state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), with its consortium partners Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Japanese conglomerate Mitsui, signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a re-gasification LNG terminal at New Mangalore Port, the project is again on the back burner.

The consortium had in March 2013 signed the MoU to carry out a feasibility study for a 2-3 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) terminal, which could be expanded to 5 mmtpa.

“Kochi LNG terminal still remains under-utilised. So we are giving it a serious thought whether a new Rs 5,000-crore LNG terminal is viable,” said an official from BPCL on the condition of anonymity.

Petronet LNG Limited (PLL) is mainly involved in importing LNG and setting up and running terminals. It is a venture jointly promoted by GAIL India Ltd, ONGC, IndianOil Corporation Ltd and BPCL. All the partners put together hold 50% stake in Petronet LNG.

Petronet LNG Limited's Kochi Terminal, which was commissioned in August 2013, operated at a capacity utilisation of 2.1% in 2014-15.

The company in its annual report said, "Kochi terminal continued to operate at low loads due to lack of evacuation pipelines with no substantial progress in Phase II pipelines work. There are very few customers being serviced as of now with Phase I of the pipeline network, limited to only about 45 Km. Until Phase II segment of the pipeline is completed, the terminal capacity will continue to be grossly under utilised."

An ONGC official declined to comment, saying there is no update to share.

“We are also thinking if we should go for a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) or the terminal in Mangalore,” the BPCL official added. Floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) are similar to a land-based LNG terminal.

Oil marketing and refining major BPCL had originally planned to bring in natural gas from its Rovuma Basin in Mozambique to Mangalore but the consortium partners of Bharat Petro Resources Limited (BPRL), the upstream arm of the state-owned BPCL, tied up majority of the gas with customers in Asia which does not include Indian players.

An ONGC Videsh Limited official said that majority of the gas from Mozambique has been tied up as commercial decisions are taken by the consortium.

“International players are giving the consortium a better price and we are going with the consortium’s decision on sale of gas,” said a BPCL executive.

BPRL along with its consortium had in 2012 formed marketing teams to talk to companies in Japan, China and Thailand. These countries agreed to pay more for gas. Besides, the players need to maximise their revenue as they plan to set up two LNG (liquefied natural gas) trains.

“Though there is LNG demand (in Mangalore) and its vicinity, the viability of the terminal depends on the pipeline connectivity,” said the BPCL official. Mangalore stations Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd, a subsidiary of ONGC.