Coal records highest growth at 5.3% among core industries

According to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry’s Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI), the coal sector grew by 5.3%, from 204.3 points in December 2023 to 215.1 points in December 2024, the Economic Times reported. Coal, cement, crude oil, electricity, fertilisers, natural gas, refinery products, and steel are all measured by the ICI. In comparison to the same period last year, the aggregate index of these industries grew by 4.0% in December 2024 and the combined index increased by 4.2% during the April–December 2024 period. Production of coal increased from 684.47 million tonnes (MT) to 726.31 MT between April and December 2024, making a big contribution to the growth of the overall sector.

India’s December LNG imports rise, natural gas production falls

The most recent data from the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC) under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas showed that India’s natural gas production fell 2.1% in December 2024, with gross production of 3,066 million standard cubic meters (MMSCM), the Economic Times report. The 1,201 MMSCM of natural gas produced by the state-run ONGC was 5% less than the previous year. According to the report, during the same time period, the nation’s imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) increased by 19.2% to reach 3,047 MMSCM. At 46.12 MMSCMD, Gujarat was the state with the largest natural gas consumption, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. 

20 coal mines receive bids in coal ministry’s eleventh commercial auction

The 11th round of commercial coal mine auctions was opened by the Ministry of Coal, and offers were submitted for 20 of the 27 coal mines that were up for grabs, the Economic Times reported. Seventy online bids and seventy-two offline bids were recorded during the auction procedure. The bids were electronically decoded along with sealed envelopes holding offline bid paperwork which were also opened in front of the bidders. For transparency, the entire procedure was shown on a screen. In the eleventh round, 15 coal mines were put up for auction, and 65 bids were received. Five of the seven coal mines that were put up for auction in the second attempt of the tenth round each received one bid. 46 businesses in all placed bids throughout the auction procedure. For the first time, a Coal India subsidiary was among the more than 15 new businesses that took part in the commercial coal mine auction. 

Trump’s trade war on Beijing could derail US LNG plans 

According to experts, industry sources, and business filings, billions of dollars in planned US liquefied natural gas export projects—many of which depend on China as a major buyer—are at risk from President Donald Trump’s escalating trade battle with Beijing, the Reuters reported. According to the news outlet, Trump’s threat illustrates the dual character of Trump’s protectionist policies, which could unintentionally jeopardise his aspirations to significantly increase US energy output while simultaneously boosting American business and enforcing measures to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. As part of a larger attempt to improve the U.S. trade balance, Trump has imposed a 10% tax on Chinese imports. Beijing responded by imposing a 15% tariff on U.S. coal and LNG and a 10% tariff on U.S. oil. The report said that the United States is the world’s largest producer of LNG and China has been its significant consumer, purchasing around 6%, or 4.3 million metric tonnes of all U.S. LNG shipments last year. According to calculations by Reuters, Chinese state-owned enterprises have inked agreements to provide more than 20 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG from current and planned U.S. export facilities. 

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