India may stop importing LPG from 2009-Reliance

KUNMING, China, Mar 13 (Reuters) India may stop importing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from 2009 amid growing domestic production, an official at Indian refiner Reliance Industries Ltd. said on Tuesday.

''We will be self-sufficient around 2009, then we may not need to import,'' Prashant J. Mahale, assistant vice president of Reliance's LPG division, said at an industry conference.

Mahale said the growth in domestic LPG production will mostly come from refinery expansions, although he did not elaborate. (click [ID:nSP274716] for Asian refinery expansion plan table) Indian domestic LPG production is expected to grow to near 10 million tonnes a year in 2009 versus slightly below 8 million tonnes in 2006, according to figures provided by Reliance. Demand is expected to be mostly steady around 10 million tonnes over the same period.

Indian LPG demand is almost entirely from household cooking, which accounts for more than 94 percent of total consumption.

REUTERS KR SSC1405