According to the official data released on Saturday, lower production was due to a 15.3 per cent drop in output by the country’s top producer ONGC at 1.72 bcm. State-owned Oil India Ltd also produced 10 per cent less natural gas at 202.05 million cubic metres due to “loss of potential in Deohal area (in Assam) due to presence of CO2 in production stream (and) less gas offtake by consumers due to COVID-19 lockdown,” it said.
As per the sources, “The shortfall in gas production (by ONGC) is primarily due to less gas offtake by consumers due to COVID-19 lockdown. State-owned Oil India Ltd also produced 10 per cent less natural gas at 202.05 million cubic metres due to “loss of potential in Deohal area (in Assam) due to presence of CO2 in production stream (and) less gas offtake by consumers due to COVID-19 lockdown,” it said.
India’s crude oil production fell 6.35 per cent to 2.5 million tonnes in April for the same reason.
Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) output was marginally lower at 1.7 million tonnes in April, while fields operated by private firms such as Cairn produced 19.2 per cent less oil at 615,800 tonnes.
Cairn’s Rajasthan fields produced 19.2 per cent less oil at 490,560 tonnes, the data showed. Refineries produced about 30 per cent less fuel in April at 18.9 million tonnes as the lockdown kept most vehicles off the roads, evaporating demand.
“Reasons for shortfall in production mainly include low demand due to COVID-19 lockdown,” the ministry said.