{
  "id": 4849774,
  "title": "Indian LNG imports surge to six-year high even as prices spike",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/indian-lng-imports-surge-to-six-year-high-even-as-prices-spike",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-01T10:59:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindu BusinessLine",
    "slug": "hindu-businessline",
    "url": "https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/markets/commodities/indian-lng-imports-surge-to-six-year-high-even-as-prices-spike/article71414519.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India's liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports surged to a six-year high in August, despite rising spot prices, as distributors sought alternatives to shipments disrupted by the Iran conflict. Shipments to the nation increased by 40% year-on-year to 2.6 million tons, according to Bloomberg's ship-tracking data. This marks the highest monthly level since October 2020. The surge is puzzling the market, as India typically lowers its LNG purchases when spot prices soar. Initially, the country bought less during the early stages of the war due to fuel rationing and curtailed supply for some fertilizer producers. However, LNG purchases are now rebounding, even though spot prices have more than doubled from pre-war levels. Buyers are reportedly hoarding LNG, anticipating the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial conduit for a fifth of global supply, whose reopening remains uncertain. Most of the recent buying was for fertilizer producers, which are backed by government subsidies. Some city-gas distributors and industries also had to find alternatives for propane. Indian companies made some of their most expensive spot LNG purchases since 2022, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine disrupted the global gas market and sent prices soaring. Recently, Gujarat State Petroleum Corp. bought an LNG shipment for September delivery at $24 per million British thermal units, more than double pre-war levels. The rise in Indian buying is curbing supplies to Europe, which has been struggling to replenish its inventories since the effective closure of Hormuz. The US became India's top LNG supplier in August, providing over a third of deliveries.",
  "summary": "Deliveries to the South Asian nation climbed 40% per cent year-on-year to 2.6 million tons",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}