**Executive Summary**
This document is 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. It invites stakeholders to submit comments on the draft amendments within 30 days of the communication, which is dated October 24th, 2025. The amendments, titled the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) (Amendment) Rules, 2025, aim to update the eligibility criteria for registration of LNG terminals.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendments Overview:** The Ministry intends to amend the rules pertaining to eligibility conditions for registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals.
* **Short Title and Commencement:**
* The amended rules are called the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) (Amendment) Rules, 2025.
* They will come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
* **Definitions (as defined in the document):**
* "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.
* Other terms used in the rules and defined in the Act shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Act.
* **Eligibility Conditions for Registration:**
* Any entity desiring to establish or operate a liquefied natural gas terminal for LNG import after the establishment of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board must fulfill the following conditions to be eligible for registration:
* The entity, its parent company, or its promoters must have a minimum net worth of Rs 1500 crores or more in each of the preceding 3 financial years as per the audited financial statements.
* The entity, its parent company, or its promoters must have experience in either of the following:
* Successfully undertaken and completed at least one infrastructure project of more than 1000 crores rupees in the preceding 5 years (on its own or through a Joint Venture).
* Successfully built and operated a hydrocarbon project of more than 600 crores in the preceding 5 years (on its own or through a Joint Venture).
* Entities seeking registration to operate an LNG terminal must also have a credible plan for maintaining storage capacity for LNG, which should be 10% higher than the requirement for day-to-day re-gasification operations.
* This storage capacity shall be made available as per the directions of the Central Government as and when desired.
* Entities operating an LNG Terminal before the establishment of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board shall furnish details of all such LNG terminals to the Board before the appointed date.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholders: Entities desiring to establish or operate Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals.**
* **Impact:** The amendments specify the eligibility criteria required for registration with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to establish or operate LNG terminals. This includes financial requirements (net worth) and experience in infrastructure or hydrocarbon projects.
* **Action Required:** Review the amended rules to ensure compliance with the eligibility criteria. If applicable, furnish details of existing LNG terminals being operated before the establishment of the PNGRB to the Board. Ensure a credible plan for LNG storage capacity is in place if seeking to operate an LNG terminal.
**Stakeholders: Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB)**
* **Impact:** To review applications for registration of LNG terminals based on the new eligibility criteria.
* **Action Required:** Define form and manner for furnishing details for LNG terminals being operated before the establishment of the Board.
**Stakeholders: General Public/Consumers**
* **Impact:** Aim to protect consumer interests and foster higher availability of liquefied natural gas in the country.
* **Action Required:** No specific action is required from the general public/consumers other than to follow the outcomes of the public consultation.
**Stakeholders: Central Government**
* **Impact:** Direct the availability of LNG storage capacity.
* **Action Required:** Issue direction to when storage capacity should be available.
**Stakeholders: Other Stakeholders**
* **Impact:** General impact to energy sector.
* **Action Required:** Furnish comments, if any, within 30 days of the issue of this communication on sogp2.png@nic.in.
Key Entities Referenced
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) Rules, 2012: The principal rules being amended by this notification, establishing eligibility conditions for LNG terminal registration.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006: The act that establishes the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board and empowers it to register entities for LNG terminals.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board: The regulator responsible for the eligibility conditions for registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal.
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas: The ministry issuing the public notice and proposed amendments to the rules.
New Delhi: Location where the public notice has been issued.
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.
****