India’s Strategic Oil Reserves Surge !

Amid global uncertainties and geopolitical tensions, especially concerns over disruptions in crude oil supply, the Central Government has announced that India currently maintains petroleum reserves sufficient for 74 days. Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri revealed that the country is working towards achieving the international benchmark of maintaining reserves for up to 90 days. These strategic reserves play a crucial role during emergencies such as wars, sanctions, or supply disruptions, ensuring uninterrupted availability of petrol and diesel across the country.

The crude oil is stored in specially engineered underground rock caverns located in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and in Mangaluru and Padur in Karnataka, with a total storage capacity of about 5.33 million tonnes. Additional storage facilities are being developed at Chandikhol, while expansion works are underway at Padur. The government has also proposed new storage centres at Bikaner in Rajasthan and Bina in Madhya Pradesh. These underground caverns, managed by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited, are designed to safely store oil for decades and provide protection from disasters, leakage, and external threats while ensuring energy security for the nation.