India’s LNG imports rise as it diversifies supplies away from Hormuz: Report

India has sharply increased its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) during the May-July period by diversifying supplies away from the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz, said a report. This helped offset a steep decline in shipments from its traditional supplier, Qatar.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the country's LNG imports rose 15.4% year-on-year to 7.08 million tonnes during May-July, recovering after a nearly 13% fall in March-April, the first two months of the West Asia conflict. The recovery was driven by higher cargoes from the US, Oman, Nigeria and Angola, compensating for the disruption in supplies routed through the Strait of Hormuz, it said.

India relies on LNG imports for about half of its natural gas demand and previously sourced around 60% of these imports through the strait, mainly from Qatar and the UAE. The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, a key global energy transit route, has seen severe disruptions due to the conflict.

MUST READ | India-bound Saudi crude tanker crosses Red Sea as Hormuz shipping comes under pressure

India prioritised securing supplies to meet demand from sectors including city gas distribution, fertilisers, power and ceramics. While several major LNG-importing nations curtailed purchases amid soaring prices, India maintained strong buying interest, it added.

According to Kpler ship-tracking data, the US was India's largest LNG supplier during May-July with 2.19 million tonnes, followed by Nigeria at 1.31 million tonnes, Oman at 1.22 million tonnes and Angola at 0.80 million tonnes. Imports from the US surged 252.8% year-on-year, while shipments from Oman jumped 340.9%. Imports from Nigeria and Angola increased 123.8% and 71.3%, respectively. These figures are significantly higher than average monthly imports from these countries during 2025.

DON'T MISS | Another attack in Hormuz: Tanker carrying Qatar LNG struck, blackout reported

Meanwhile, imports from Qatar fell 91.3% year-on-year to 0.23 million tonnes during the period, while imports from the UAE declined 34.4% to 0.55 million tonnes. However, UAE shipments recovered in June and July after sharp falls in previous months.

Industry insiders cited by the daily said the UAE managed to sustain exports despite the Hormuz blockade by exploiting short windows of opportunity based on maritime security assessments and sometimes switching off LNG tankers' transponders to avoid detection.

Qatar used similar tactics to a lesser extent. Both exporters benefited from a partial recovery in transits following the initial US-Iran peace pact on June 17, before vessel movements slowed again after the agreement collapsed in early July.