CITY GAS DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA

CITY GAS DISTRIBUTION IN INDIAMission• City gas distribution in India continues to grow, despite no new licences/authorisations and despite uncertainty about price and supply.• Between 2009 and 2011, the CGD network more than doubled in size, from 11,000 kilometres to almost 27,000 kilometres. Total gas consumption in theCGD segment rose from just under 14 mmscmd in 2009-10 to about 22 mmscmd in 2011-12. The total number of CNG stations grew from 637 inDecember 2010 to 783 in March 2012. Almost 80 cities in over 50 geographic areas now have operational networks or authorised licensees.• This growth is likely to continue over the next couple of years, driven by expansion of existing older networks and commencement of operations by"recently authorised" operators. The growth will also continue to be driven by the competitive advantage natural gas has vis-à-vis other fuels(cleaner and still somewhat cheaper) and by judicial interventions dictating a switchover from other fuels (because of environmental concerns). Thedevelopment of new cross-country pipeline networks and the addition of LNG terminal capacity will also aid CGD growth.• To be sure, the sector faces many challenges. The supply of cheaper domestic natural gas has been much lower than expected because of a fall inproduction in the KG Basin gasfields. This means that CGD operators have to buy more of costlier R-LNG from international markets. But, as theexperience of Gujarat shows, CGD can still be competitive. Moreover, global gas prices have recently been trending in a downward direction.• There are other issues as well with setting up CGD networks, relating to right-of-way for pipeline networks, lack of municipal cooperation, land for CNGstations, availability of manpower, etc. But, so far at least, they have proven to be surmountable.• A notable feature of CGD development in India has been the use of world-class technologies and best practices. Safety and security concerns have beenaddressed effectively by CGD operators, leading to increased consumer confidence and demand.• Of course, the growth of CGD in India could have been exponentially higher had we not had regulatory setbacks with court challenges and cancelledbids. Hopefully, the regulator, the government and the industry can work with each other a little better and we will see new licence awards as wellas authorisations.• The mission of this conference is to discuss the key challenges facing CGD operators in India, from a strategic and operational perspective. The conferencewill provide an update on regulatory and market developments. It will also showcase noteworthy projects, best practices and most promising technologies.Target AudienceThe conference is targeted at:- Gas distributors - Engineering and design firms - Natural gas producers- Gas marketers/suppliers - Leak detection solution providers - Pipeline operators- Policy-makers and regulators - Technology providers - Industrial consumers- Infrastructure builders - Meter manufacturers - Financial institutions- Consulting and legal firms - State development agencies - Etc.OrganisersThe conference is being organised by Indian Infrastructure magazine, which is published by India Infrastructure Publishing, a company dedicated toproviding information on the infrastructure sectors through magazines, newsletters, reports and conferences. The company also publishes Power Lineand Smart Utilities magazines, as well as a series of research reports on the infrastructure sectors including City Gas Distribution in India, Indian GasMarket 2012, Oil and Gas Pipelines in India and Captive Power in India. It also publishes Oil & Gas News (a weekly newsletter) and the Oil & GasDirectory & Yearbook.Delegate Fee• The delegate fee is Rs 22,500 for one participant, Rs 37,500 for two, Rs 52,500 for three and Rs 67,500 for four.• A service tax of 12.36 per cent is applicable on the registration fee.To register: Call +91-11-41688859, 9810498985, email: conferencecell@indiainfrastructure.com, or visit us at www.indiainfrastructure.com