**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has released a public notice regarding proposed amendments to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) Rules, 2012. These amendments, titled the (Amendment) Rules, 2025, pertain to the eligibility conditions for registering LNG terminals and aim to address the growing energy needs and demand for natural gas. Stakeholders are invited to submit comments on these proposed amendments within 30 days of the notice date (October 24, 2025).
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendments Overview:**
* These Rules may be called the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) (Amendment) Rules, 2025.
* The rules shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
* **Definitions:**
* "Act" means the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006.
* "Board" means the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board defined in clause (f) of section 2 and established under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Act.
* All other words and expressions used in these rules and not defined, but defined in the Act, shall have the meanings, respectively, assigned to them in the Act.
* **Eligibility Conditions for Registration:**
* Any entity desirous of establishing or operating a liquefied natural gas terminal for import of LNG after the date of establishment of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Act, shall be eligible to make an application for registration to the Board, only on fulfillment of the following conditions, namely:
* The entity or its parent company or its promoters has a minimum net worth of Rs 1500 crores or more in each of the preceding 3 financial years.
* The entity or its parent company or its promoters shall have experience in either of the following :
* The entity on its own or a through Joint Venture has successfully undertaken and completed at least one infrastructure project of more than 1000 crores rupees in preceding 5 years.
* The entity on its own or through a Joint Venture has successfully built and operated a hydrocarbon project of more than 600 crores in the preceding 5 years.
* An entity seeking registration to operate an LNG terminal must also have a credible plan for maintaining storage capacity for LNG, which shall be ten percent higher than the requirement for day-to-day operations.
* Any entity operating an LNG Terminal before the establishment of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board shall furnish the details of all such LNG terminals being in operation before the appointed date to the Board in such form and manner as prescribed by Regulation.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholders: Entities Desirous of Establishing or Operating LNG Terminals**
* **Impact**: New eligibility conditions apply to entities seeking to establish or operate LNG terminals after the establishment of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board.
* **Action Required**: Entities must ensure they meet the new net worth and experience criteria to be eligible for registration. They must also provide a plan for maintaining adequate LNG storage capacity. Entities operating LNG terminals before the establishment of the Board must furnish details of their operations to the Board.
**Stakeholders: Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board**
* **Impact**: Will have to consider eligibility conditions based on the amendment rules.
* **Action Required**: Awaiting Stakeholders comments.
**Stakeholders: Central Government**
* **Impact**: These changes are to protect consumer interests, ensure commercial transparency, and foster the availability of natural gas.
* **Action Required**: Awaiting Stakeholders comments.
Key Entities Referenced
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) Rules, 2012: The primary set of rules being amended by this public consultation, establishing eligibility criteria for registration of liquefied natural gas terminals.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) (Amendment) Rules, 2025: The draft rules proposed to amend the 2012 Rules, subject to public consultation.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006: The primary act establishing and governing the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board: The regulatory body that governs the registration and operation of liquefied natural gas terminals, as defined by the relevant acts and rules.
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas: The ministry responsible for proposing amendments to the petroleum and natural gas regulatory framework.
Public Consultation Documents
File No. L-16013/4/2025-GP-I (E:54163)
Government of India
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
***
Kartavya Bhawan-03, New Delhi.
Dated: 24th October, 2025.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Sub: Public Consultation on proposed Amendments to Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board
(Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) Rules, 2012.
It is to inform that this Ministry intends to amend the rules pertaining to Eligibility Conditions
for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal. Accordingly, draft Amendments to Petroleum and
Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal)
Rules, 2012 has been prepared. A copy of the same is attached herewith.
2. In this regard, all the stakeholders are requested to furnish comments, if any, within 30 days of
issue of this communication on sogp2.png@nic.in.DRAFT
[TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE OF INDIA, EXTRAORDINARY, PART II,
SECTION 3, SUB-SECTION (iii)]
Government of India
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural gas
Notification
G S R ...............(E)- Whereas the growing energy needs and demand for natural gas in country
necessitates the expansion of liquefied natural gas terminals in view of the limited domestic gas
production;
And whereas to protect consumer interests, liquefied natural gas terminals must be
subject to commercial transparency and committed to provide capacity to any consumer who
desires to import gas into the country;
And whereas there is a need to ensure a balance between freedoms to operate such
liquefied natural gas terminals, as well as equitable access and transparency in their operations
in the larger public interest, so as to foster higher availability of liquefied natural gas in the
country;
And whereas clause (b) of section 11 of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory
Board Act, 2006 (19 or 2006) empowers the Board to register the entities desirous of
establishing or operating the liquefied natural gas terminals;
And whereas sub-section (1) of section 15 of the said Act envisages that the entities,
desirous of establishing or operating liquefied natural gas terminals, need to fulfil the eligibility
conditions before making an application to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board for
their registration under the said Act;
Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (l) of section 15
read with clause (e) of sub-section (2) of section 60 of the said Act, the Central Government
hereby amends the following rules, namely:-
Short title, application and commencement: - (1) These Rules may be called the Petroleum
and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural
Gas Terminal) (Amendment) Rules, 2025.
(2) These rules shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.DRAFT
2. Definitions - In these rules, unless the. context otherwise requires,
a. "Act" means the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006:
b. "Board" means the Petroleum and Natural Gay Regulatory Board defined in clause (f) of
section 2 and established under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Act;
c. All other words and expressions used in these rules and not defined, but defined in the
Act, shall have the meanings, respectively, assigned to them in the Act.
3. Eligibility conditions for registration: - (I) Any entity desirous of establishing or
operating a liquefied natural gas terminal for import of LNG after the date of establishment of
the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Act,
shall be eligible to make an application for registration to the Board, only on fulfilment of the
following conditions, namely:-
(a) entity or its parent company or its promoters has a minimum net worth of Rs 1500 crores or
more in each of the preceding 3 financial years as per the audited financial statements;
and
(b) The entity or its parent company or its promoters shall have experience in either of the
following –
(i) entity on its own or a through Joint Venture has successfully undertaken and completed
at least one infrastructure project of more than 1000 crores rupees in preceding 5 years;
or
(ii) entity on its own or through a Joint Venture has successfully built and operated a
hydrocarbon project of more than 600 crores in the preceding 5 years.
Provided that an entity seeking registration to operate LNG terminal in addition to the conditions
prescribed at (a) and (b) shall also have a credible plan for maintaining the storage capacity for
LNG. This storage capacity shall be ten percent higher than the requirement for day to day
operations of the terminal pertaining to re-gas activity. Further, the capacity stored shall be made
available as per the directions of the Central Government as and when desired.
Further, provided that any entity operating an LNG Terminal before the establishment of the
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Act, shall
furnish the details of all such LNG terminals being in operation before the appointed date to the
Board in such form and manner as prescribed by Regulation.
****