US, India form Gas Task Force

India and US have announced the formation of a natural gas task force that will help India to use more gas, according to a joint statement by both countries' governments April 17. The statement was issued after US energy secretary Rick Perry met with India oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi.

“The task force provides a team of US and Indian industry experts with a mandate to propose, develop, and convey, innovative policy recommendations to government of India in support of its vision for natural gas in the economy of India. The work of the task force is expected to advance the strategic and economic interests of both the United States and India,” the statement said.

Strategic energy partnership teams will convene soon to further develop action plans for the respective pillars of co-operation. The US and Indian co-chairs will receive reports from the pillar teams on a regular basis, according to the joint statement.

Pradhan and Perry co-chaired the inaugural meeting of the US-India Strategic Energy Partnership, which US president Donald Trump and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi had announced during their June 26, 2017 summit in Washington, DC. The partnership affirms the strategic importance of energy co-operation to the US-India bilateral relationship and sets the stage for deeper and more meaningful engagements through government and industry channels.

Perry last week told House Energy and Commerce Committee that India offers a huge opportunity to US energy companies as well as US pipeline companies. Last month first cargo of US LNG  arrived in India at Gail's Dabhol terminal in the state of Maharashtra.