CNG, LPG and biogas distribution
Compressed and liquefied gases delivered in cylinders, trailers and tankers.
Transport · Liquid and gaseous fuels · No. 59
- Transport
- Form: Gaseous fuel
About 60% of India's LPG is imported, 90% of it from the Middle East, so the 2026 Hormuz closure hit kitchens.
Chart: Illustration: CNG, LPG and biogas distribution
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Where pipes do not reach, gas travels in pressure vessels: methane squeezed to about 250 bar as CNG, or propane and butane kept liquid under modest pressure as LPG.
Three things to know
- Gas is only about a third of a loaded CNG module's mass; the rest is cylinders and container hauled both ways.
- The US produced about 110 Mt of LPG in 2024, roughly twice the Middle East's 52.5 Mt.
- Biogas plants leak about 6% of their output as methane on average, which can cancel much of their climate gain.
The journey
- 1 SourceGas fields, refineries or biogas digesters
- 2 Compress or liquefyCNG to 250 bar; LPG under modest pressure
- 3 Bulk transportGas carriers, rail, road tankers, CNG trailers
- 4 BottlingSpheres, bullet tanks and cylinder filling
- 5 Last mileTrucks and handcarts deliver to homes