India's overseas energy deployment—Part One: Investments in Russia, Azerbaijan, and other countries

India's energy administration system is highly complex, fragmented across multiple agencies, and extremely cumbersome. Several ministries—including the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Power—are responsible for India's energy affairs, a stark contrast to China’s centralized management under a single National Energy Administration. Indians themselves acknowledge that domestic coal mining and power generation remain largely rooted in a planned economy. Indian coal is generally of low quality and concentrated primarily in the eastern and central-southern regions—such as Andhra Pradesh and Assam. Nevertheless, this has not hindered India’s efforts to develop overseas energy bases, especially oilfields. In addition, Indian capital has acquired equity stakes in certain pipelines and constructed port terminals. Beyond conventional maritime imports, India’s petroleum imports are supplemented by its own overseas investments—spanning Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Vietnam, the UAE, Libya, South Sudan, Angola, Colombia, Venezuela, Myanmar, and Syria. These investments take various forms: equity participation, combined equity and operational control, or operational rights alone. To date, however, India’s overseas energy investment focus remains centered on Russia and the Middle East; supplies from other regions pale in comparison. The Indian Oil Corporation (ONGC Videsh Limited) holds investments in Russia’s Vankor and Sakhalin-1 oil and gas fields. Krasnoyarsk Krai Strictly speaking, Krasnoyarsk Krai is not part of Eastern Siberia but rather Central Siberia. Its northwestern region—near Igarka—is rich in energy resources and timber, yet suffers from harsh climatic conditions and sparse population. The Vankor Oil and Gas Field (Ванкорское нефтегазовое месторождение) lies approximately 130 km west of Igarka in the Turukhansky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Eastern Siberia—close to the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Estimated reserves stand at 520 million tonnes of oil and 95 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Production commenced in August 2009. The field is operated by Rosneft, with ONGC Videsh Limited holding a stake. Prior to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Baltic states also imported oil from this field; currently, three-quarters of its output is supplied to China. So where exactly is Igarka? The red dot marks the location of Igarka. Igarka was founded in 1929 as a logging site and timber transshipment port. Its name derives from the Ket people’s term for a small tributary of the left bank of the Yenisey River. The ‘Igarka River’ appeared on 18th-century maps; Russian explorers Dmitry Laptev and Khariton Minin mentioned it in their 1740 expedition records. A seasonal camp once existed there; today, the exact location of the river is unknown, while the camp has expanded into a town. Igarka attained official town status in 1931, but was immediately designated a place of political exile. After World War II, nearly 10,000 Lithuanians were forcibly relocated there, swelling the town’s population to around 25,000. The Soviet government deployed these exiles to expand the town—including building a port, shipyard, and cinema. In 1947, plans were drawn up to construct a Polar Railway linking Igarka with Salekhard on the Ob River; however, the project was abandoned in 1953 following Stalin’s death. Thousands of prisoners perished during its construction.

Electronic map: Thulendi–Phulpur Natural Gas Pipeline Map

The map depicts the 139.98 km, 18-inch Thulendi–Phulpur spur line of the HVJ Gas Pipeline network, delivering natural gas from the tap-off point in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, to the receiving terminal in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Table of Descriptions 1 Product Details 2 Files Included in This Digital Map 3 Editability of Map 4 Related Upstream/Downstream Pipelines 1 Product Details Product Name: Thulendi–Phulpur Gas Pipeline Map Product Type: Vector Map Pipeline Abbreviation: TPPL Pipeline Length: 139.98 km Country: India From: Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh To: Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh No. of Receive Terminals: 1 No. of Tap-Off Points and Sectionalizing Valve Stations: 6 Coordinate Data: Not Available File Formats: Adobe PDF, Adobe Illustrator Lifetime Updates: Supported Language: English Note: 1. This digital map represents a spur line only. 2. This digital map is NOT a GIS map and does not contain coordinate data. 2 Files Included in This Digital Map [Main Map] Thulendi–Phulpur Gas Pipeline Map

Indian Oil to Invest $256 Million for Kochi-Thoothukudi Natural Gas Pipeline

1 day ago

Indian Oil Corp will invest $256 million to build a 424 km natural gas pipeline between Kochi and Thoothukudi, with a capacity of 6.84 MMSCMD. It aims to expand India's natural gas infrastructure and increase its share in energy mix.

reuters

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