New Delhi: The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has formed a high-level expert committee to reassess and fortify the safety and integrity framework governing India’s burgeoning oil and gas sector.
The newly constituted committee is entrusted with the mandate to re-examine the technical and safety standards within the industry, with a focus on integrating petrochemical plants into the regulatory regime.
“As mandated to PNGRB i.e. to ensure safety and integrity of the downstream petroleum and natural gas sector, the committee will interact and seek the views of various stakeholders during review of the extant safety framework,” the regulator said in a statement.
“The committee will examine the existing regulatory regime and suggest a way forward to strengthen the technical and safety system in the oil and gas industry. Constituted committee has already convened the meetings and are in process to take forward the task,” it added.
This decisive move comes in light of the PNGRB’s commitment to enhance energy efficiency and environmental compliance as per the T4S Regulations.
The six-member panel, comprising six industry veterans, headed by MB Lal, former chairman and managing director, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), was formed on 24 November.
As per the regulator, according to Section 11(i) of the PNGRB Act, 2006, the functions of the board include to “lay down, by regulations, the technical standards and specifications including safety standards in activities relating to petroleum, petroleum products, and natural gas, including the construction and operation of pipeline and infrastructure projects related to downstream petroleum and natural gas sector.”
“PNGRB desires to effectively implement the mandate provided as per Section 11(i) of the PNGRB Act, 2006 and ensure compliance to various regulations for safety and integrity of oil and gas sector in the country,” it noted
Other members of the committee include Mukesh Rohatgi, former CMD, Engineers India Limited; KK Jha, former director of pipeline, Indian Oil Corporation; RD Goyal former director, GAIL Pvt Ltd; Hirak Dutta, former member, Oil Industry Safety Directorate and Anil Kumar Garg, joint advisor, PNGRB.
The committee, led by seasoned industry stalwarts, is expected to submit a detailed report in three months, potentially setting a new precedent for regulatory norms in the Indian energy landscape.
