# India pays highest LNG prices since 2022 amid Iran conflict 2026-08-21T19:36:19+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets India's state-run energy companies are buying liquefied natural gas at the highest prices seen since 2022, as the US-Iran conflict disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Gail India paid over $23 per million British thermal units for a September delivery, while Gujarat State Petroleum Corp paid in the mid-$23 range per mmbtu, Bloomberg reported. Bharat Petroleum also agreed to buy a spot cargo this week. NDTV Profit and the Times of India report that the price surge follows Iranian attacks in March that damaged Qatar's massive export terminal, and ongoing marine traffic restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. Indian buyers are also competing with European buyers where gas prices hit a five-month high. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas told Parliament that India has diversified its LNG sourcing to 15 countries from six earlier, and crude oil to 41 countries from 27, to reduce vulnerability to any single route. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both sources report the same core facts: Gail and Gujarat State Petroleum paid top prices due to the Hormuz crisis. NDTV Profit's report is a straight wire-style summary of the price spike, with no government framing. The Times of India article includes the government's diversification claim and a ministry statement about monitoring supplies, giving it a slightly pro-government tilt. A careful reader should note that diversification is a long-term strategy that does not help with the immediate price shock. Watch for September delivery prices and any impact on fertilizer subsidy bills. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 neutral - ndtvprofit.com (neutral report) Straightforward report of price data and causes, no government framing. - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (pro government) Includes government diversification claim and ministry statement, slight tilt. This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-24T14:11:22+00:00. Tags: energy imports, Global markets, India, LNG, spot prices Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-buys-costliest-lng-cargoes-since-2022-amid-war-disruption/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-buys-costliest-lng-cargoes-since-2022-amid-war-disruption/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/