**Executive Summary**
This document is a public notice from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas regarding proposed amendments to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) Rules, 2012. It announces draft amendments and seeks comments from stakeholders to be submitted within 30 days of the communication issue date of October 24th, 2025. The document also includes the draft amendment rules which outline eligibility criteria for entities seeking to establish or operate LNG terminals.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendments to Rules:** The Ministry intends to amend rules regarding Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals.
* **Short Title:** The amended rules will be called the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) (Amendment) Rules, 2025.
* **Effective Date:** The rules will be effective upon publication in the Official Gazette.
* **Definitions:**
* "Act" refers to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006.
* "Board" refers to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board.
* **Eligibility Conditions for Registration:**
* Applies to entities establishing or operating LNG terminals for import after the establishment of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board.
* Requirements:
* Net worth of Rs 1500 crores or more for the entity, its parent company, or its promoters in each of the preceding 3 financial years.
* Experience of the entity, its parent company, or its promoters in either:
* Successfully undertaking and completing at least one infrastructure project of more than 1000 crores rupees in the preceding 5 years.
* Successfully building and operating a hydrocarbon project of more than 600 crores in the preceding 5 years.
* Entities seeking to operate LNG terminal must maintain a credible plan for storage capacity for LNG.
* The LNG storage capacity shall be ten percent higher than the requirement for day to day operations of the terminal.
* The storage capacity must be made available as per Central Government directions.
* Entities operating an LNG Terminal before the establishment of the Board must furnish operational details to the Board before the appointed date.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholders: Entities Desirous of Establishing or Operating LNG Terminals**
* **Impact:** These rules affect the eligibility requirements for entities intending to establish or operate liquefied natural gas terminals for import after the establishment of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board. They will need to meet the new criteria related to net worth, experience, and LNG storage capacity.
* **Action Required:** Entities must review the new eligibility conditions and ensure compliance before applying for registration with the Board. Entities operating LNG terminals before the establishment of the Board need to furnish operational details as prescribed.
**Stakeholders: Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board**
* **Impact:** The Board will be responsible for implementing and enforcing the amended rules, including assessing compliance with the new eligibility criteria.
* **Action Required:** The Board will need to prepare for the implementation of the new rules, including establishing procedures for assessing compliance and reviewing operational details of existing LNG terminals.
**Stakeholders: Central Government**
* **Impact:** The central government has the power to direct the usage of the storage capacity maintained by LNG terminals.
* **Action Required:** The central government can make directions to the LNG terminals on where the stored capacity will be used.
**Stakeholders: General Public/Consumers**
* **Impact:** These rules affect the energy needs and demand for natural gas, promote transparency and capacity, and ensure a balance between freedoms.
* **Action Required:** No action required, but may submit comments regarding the draft amendment.
Key Entities Referenced
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal) Rules, 2012: The original rules that are being amended in this public notice.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006: The Act that establishes and governs the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board: The regulatory body responsible for regulating the petroleum and natural gas sector.
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas: The ministry proposing amendments to the Eligibility Conditions for Registration of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal Rules.
New Delhi: Location of the office issuing the public notice.
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.
****