Senior BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday took charge as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas in the newly formed Modi Cabinet 3.0.

After assuming office, Puri said that India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi successfully navigated the energy trilemma of availability, affordability and sustainability while nations in our neighbourhood and even developed countries struggled with energy rationing, pump dry-outs and spiralling fuel prices.

He asserted that India is perhaps the only country in the world where fuel prices have come down over a two- and half-year reference period.

The Minister said “in 2014, our LPG connections numbered only 14 crores and only 55% population had access to LPG cylinders and now they have reached 32 crore and all mothers & sisters now have access to LPG as our Ujjwala scheme has been very successful.”

Speaking about Exploration and Production, Puri said that Oil production from the 98/2 well will increase to 45,000 barrels per day very soon and gas production will also start soon.

“For western offshore, ONGC has already floated a tender to get an international technology partner. All international oil and gas majors having an annual revenue above 75 billion USD have been invited to participate in this tender,” he noted.

Reiterating government’s commitment to achieve 20% ethanol blending target by 2025, the Minister said, “in the month of May only, we were able to cross 15% of ethanol blending.”

“As you know, the Prime Minister had set a target originally of 20 percent blending by 2030. On the basis of what I have seen and in the basis of work in progress, I am reasonably confident that the 20% blending target, which was brought forward from 2030 to 2025, will be completed by the year 2025,” he further added.

Highlighting the government’s dedication to integrating green hydrogen in the refining process, Puri said that green hydrogen plants at refineries in Panipat (10 KTA), Mathura (5 KTA), and Paradeep (10 KTA) will be installed soon.

“First green hydrogen plant (10 MW) was commissioned on 27th May 2024, even as elections were on. Many of our Oil PSUs are in the process of issuance of tender for supply of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen station at Kochi has been commissioned for bus plying from Kochi Airport,” he added.