Gas price fixed at $5.61/mmbtu, diesel cut by Rs 3.37/l

The government on Saturday has fixed new gas price at USD 5.61 per million british thermal unit (MMBTU), increased from USD 4.2 per mmbtu earlier, reports CNBC-TV18. However, it has reduced diesel price in Delhi by Rs 3.37 per litre following sharp fall in crude oil prices in international markets. This new gas price hike will be effective from November 1, 2014 while the diesel price cut will be effective from today midnight. Domestic gas pricing has approved by the Cabinet today, said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (after a cabinet meeting), adding the new gas price hike will be effective prospectively and will be revised on a half-yearly basis. The Cabinet modified the Rangarajan formula approved by previous UPA government to bring down the increase in rates from USD 8.4 to USD 5.61, Jaitley said. He further said, henceforth, diesel price will be linked to the market. On the DBT, he said, the government will link direct benefit transfer with Jan-Dhan Yojana and has decided to relaunch DBT scheme. "We have decided to reduce prices and in Delhi, prices are likely to go down by Rs 3.37 a litre from midnight tonight," said B Ashok, chairman of Indian Oil Corporation , the country's biggest fuel retailer. Kirit Parikh, former Planning Commission member, said he is delighted with the government’s decision to deregulate diesel. “This move is a step in the right direction. Deregulating diesel will have positive effect on fiscal situation,” he added. Lalit Kumar Gupta, managing director and chief executive officer of Essar Oil , too welcomed the government’s decision to deregulate diesel. “Deregulation will up competition & benefit end-consumer and for upstream companies, this leaves more money to invest in exploration and production, Gupta added. Former Oil secretary SC Tripathi said deregulation should improve competition and bring more players into market. “This is the proper moment to deregulate diesel and excluding Japanese price from the formula is the right move,” he added. According to him, if crude rises, subsidies must go to players on per litre basis. Meanwhile, the natural gas prices have not been increased since past three years as the oil ministry faced stiff resistance from power and fertiliser ministry. Energy expert Narendra Taneja said today's gas price hike will boost production without making power or fertiliser too expensive. However, RS Sharma, the former ONGC CMD, said he is disappointed with new gas price as the quantum of hike is not enough. According to him, imported gas costs around USD 13-14 per mmbtu, so USD 7 is a better price than USD 5.61 per mmbtu. Natural gas distribution company Indraprastha Gas is the first company that decided to hike CNG prices post gas price hike decision. It said CNG prices will be hiked by Rs 4.50 per unit and domestic gas prices will be up by Rs 2.66 per unit." (With inputs from agencies)

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In India GAS prices are set to increase effective 1st November 2014, whilst in Srilanka it is Reduced ........ Apuru ascharya ne.....

shark, thats the nature of sri lankan politicians...

(Reuters) - India's government on Saturday lifted diesel price controls and raised the cost of natural gas, giving market forces greater sway as it seeks to attract energy investment, boost competition and cut subsidy costs.

The decisions marked an acceleration in reform measures by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who won a landslide general election victory in May and was buoyed by a strong showing in two state elections this week.

Lower prices of diesel and a smaller-than-expected rise in local gas rates will help Modi fulfill an election pledge to curb inflation and pull India's economy out of its longest slowdown since the 1980s.



"Henceforth, like petrol, pricing of diesel will be market determined," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told a news conference after Modi chaired a cabinet meeting.

A litre of diesel will cost about 5.7 percent, or 3.37 rupees ($0.05), less for consumers from Sunday, while prices of locally produced gas will go up by a third from next month.

The first cut in diesel prices across the country in more than five years, triggered by falling global oil prices, will help further ease inflation that is already tracking lower.

Diesel makes up nearly half of India's fuel demand and its usage is set to rise as Modi wants to boost the employment-generating manufacturing sector to generate growth and jobs.

PAINLESS GAIN

A fall in global oil prices, down more than 20 percent from this year's June high, means that ending costly diesel subsidies will save the government money without hurting consumers.

India imports more than 70 percent of its oil needs and every $10 a barrel fall in prices lowers retail inflation by 0.2 of a percentage point and wholesale inflation by half a point, experts estimate.

Diesel deregulation will significantly reduce subsidy payouts by Oil and Natural Gas Corp, GAIL (India) Ltd and Oil India Ltd.

These companies sell crude and refined products to state refiners at discounted rates to partly compensate them for losses on fuels sales at regulated prices.

The move to market-based pricing will boost the role of private players like Reliance Industries and Essar Oil in India's retail arena.

Such companies do not receive federal support for selling diesel at discounted rates and currently sell via state refiners despite having their own sales infrastructure.

"It is a good move. This will create competition in the market and will benefit consumers, government ... and help upstream companies invest more funds for exploration," said L.K. Gupta, managing director of Essar Oil.

GAS PRICES

The government has reworked the gas pricing formula approved by the previous Congress-led government and restricted the rise in local gas prices to $5.61 per mmBtu from Nov. 1. The prices will be revised after every six months.

The previous government had suggested for raising domestic gas prices to $8.4 per mmBtu from the current $4.20 per mmBtu.

"This price will take into consideration the fact that there is sufficient incentive for drilling and investment and also it is not excessively burdensome as far as consumers are concerned," Jaitley said.

About 80 percent of the additional revenue due to revision in gas prices will go to state run companies ONGC and Oil India.

Reliance and its partners BP and Canada's Niko Resources will not get the benefits of the price rise for gas produced from its D1 and D3 gas fields in the east coast deepwater D6 block, where output has fallen drastically and is way below the promised volumes.

Reliance is currently locked in arbitrations with the government over its D6 block.

Reliance and its partners will deposit the differential between $5.61 and $4.20 in a separate fund until the arbitration is resolved, said Oil Minister Dhramendra Pradhan.

(Additional reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Rosalind Russell)