GAIL Gas uses blended pricing: CEO

New Delhi: GAIL Gas, an arm of GAIL (India), is employing a combination of varied-priced natural gas supplies and contractual flexibility to maintain affordable prices for industrial clients, CEO Ashu Shinghal revealed. Global fuel costs have skyrocketed recently due to renewed US-Iran attacks, following the easing of tensions with the June truce. Brent crude now trades around $105 a barrel, while JKM, the Asian spot LNG reference, hovers near $25 per mmbtu.

Industrial and commercial clients rely solely on imported gas, making them highly vulnerable to the surge in international prices. GAIL Gas has been operating under a force majeure declaration since the start of the Iran conflict six months ago, as disclosed by Shinghal to ET. The company is providing industrial clients a blended price for up to 80% of their contracted volumes, with the remaining volumes priced at international spot rates, which are higher than the blended price, Shinghal clarified. Currently, GAIL Gas sales to industrial clients are 10% below last year's levels.

GAIL Gas primarily sources imported LNG through its parent firm, GAIL (India), which holds multiple purchase contracts tied to different oil and gas benchmarks. As these benchmarks do not always move together, gas purchases under different contracts can have significant price variations. Although all the benchmarks have increased since the Iran war began, contracts linked to crude oil and US Henry Hub gas have experienced a smaller price hike compared to those linked to JKM.