April 12, 2021 | The “Ugly Spat” And Some Hard Truths: The sharp spat between India and Saudi Arabia over the rising crude oil price had surprised the oil industry circles. The Financial Times called it an “ugly spat “.Both countries have been making a lot of effort in recent years to move closer. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the initiative in breaking the ice which raised expectation of a big ticket investments flowing into India from countries like Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman promised investment worth $100 billion over the next two years. Many in India believe that Pradhan has a strong point when he bats for a lower price. After all, India imports close to 84 per cent of its crude oil requirements, making it the single largest item of foreign exchange outgo. At the same time, Saudi Arabia opted for production cut not to maximise its oil revenue but to stabilise oil price. No one wants oil prices to fluctuate widely. The spat raises a question: Should India demean itself by importuning the OPEC for favours? Click Free Access column Petro Intelligence for a comprehensive piece on the subject.

Column Policy has five subjects :the phased reversal of crude production by OPEC + is unlikely to bring down crude price; the hapless Indian consumers facing the highest ever retail prices for petrol and diesel are unlikely to be benefit by the production increase; India has vaulting ambition about natural gas despite the low reserves, shortages and low consumption; oil major bp’s increasing activities in India are in tune with its revised global strategy; crude oil stability may impact GRMs of Indian refineries adversely.

Column Regulation discusses four subjects: the revised prices for domestically produced gas has come as a disappointment for the industry; HPCL which was ignored in government plans for LNG business is poised to emerge as a force with its new LNG regasification terminal on the west coast; the government’s losing streak in petroleum related legal battles has been halted; IndianOil is making great progress in its foray into hydrogen as fuel for vehicles. There are exclusive reports in almost all other columns as well.

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April 9, 2021: The electric grid has been around for nearly 140 years, but it’s yet to overcome its biggest nemesis: the weather. Recent prolonged blackout in Texas (Snow storm) is showcasing that point as it suddenly rivals California (Forest wildfires) in proving the need for microgrids. Sustainable energy is the sustainable provision of energy that meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their energy needs. Says The Baroda-based, Centre For Fuel Studies and Research, in its report : Future Power Grid Vision - Grid Of Microgrids - Part 1. Click column Special Reports for details.