The Economic Times | Other country's govt not responsible to my consumers, says Union Minister Hardeep Puri on India's oil purchases

Oct 14,2022

Union Minister of Petroleum Hardeep S Puri on Friday said that no other country's government is responsible to the Indian consumers. He said that India has no "compunctions" regarding its oil purchases.

The statement comes a few days after the minister's previous remark on oil purchase stating that India will buy oil from wherever it has to.

"I was in the US recently. I said that we'll purchase oil from wherever we have to. We have no compunctions on that. Truth is, nobody even told us to not purchase it...Am I responsible to my consumers or is some other country's govt responsible to my consumers?" ANI quoted minister Puri as saying at the three-day 5th South Asian Geoscience Conference "GEO India 2022" at Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre (JECC) in Sitapura, on Friday.

Notably, when Puri was in Washington DC to hold a wide range of meetings he had asserted, "Have I been told by anyone to stop buying Russian oil? The answer is a categorical No. India will buy oil from wherever it has to for the simple reason that this kind of a discussion cannot be taken to the consuming population of India." Since the start of the Ukraine conflict. India has sought to carve a middle path between Moscow and its Western critics and so far largely resisted Western pressure to cut its economic ties with the Kremlin.

The US is holding "deep talks" with India over the latter's reliance on Russian arms and oil, according to media reports citing a state department official. The
official claimed that Indian representatives are looking at other markets to meet their demands as they try to become less dependent on Moscow for oil purchases. During this conference in Jaipur, the latest research on improved production of natural gas and oil was shared by the experts. Organised by the Association of Petroleum Geologists (APG), over a hundred experts from India and other countries including the United States, Norway and the European Central participated to discuss the issues and share their experiences.

Over a hundred experts from India and other countries including the United States, Norway and the European Central are participating to discuss the issues and share their experiences in the event. The conference is being organized by the Association of Petroleum Geologists (APG). Addressing a media, Rajesh Kumar Srivastava, patron, APG and CMD, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) had said that the GEO India conference has grown in stature in the last 15 years as an international conference. Apart from India, more than a hundred geology and geophysics experts from other countries including the USA, Norway, UK are attending the conference, which is brainstorming on the role of oil and gas in the context of energy transition in the fast-changing world.

"Hence, 'Fossil Fuels, Decarbonization and Changing Energy Dynamics' is chosen as a theme for the conference." APG President S N Chitnis (Executive Director in ONGC) had informed that over 200 technical papers will be presented in the conference, which is being participated by over 1,500 geoscientists and 600 delegates. Another important aspect of this conference is the Students' program where students of geosciences will be exposed to the professional nuances of the petroleum industry to groom them into future Energy Soldiers of the fastest growing-developing nation, which is hungry for energy.

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is one of the world's largest professional geological societies with more than 40,000 members across 129 countries. The AAPG works to advance the science of geology, especially as it relates to petroleum, natural gas, other subsurface fluids, and mineral resources; to promote the technology of exploring for, finding, and producing these materials in an economically and environmentally sound manner; and to advance the professional well-being of its members.

Association of Petroleum Geologists (APG) India is AAPG's India arm. It is a forum which brings together Petroleum Geoscientists and Engineers on one platform to discuss, deliberate and plan ways and means to support worthwhile educational and scientific programs or projects related to geosciences. It focuses on the advancement of the science of Petroleum Geology and the promotion of technology for exploration and production in an economically and environmentally sound manner.