India set a record in LNG imports, increasing it by 32%: US displaces Qatar in August 2026, India's LNG imports hit an all-time high. With traditional Middle Eastern supply routes blocked by fighting, the country is searching for alternative gas sources in the Atlantic Ocean at record speed. According to India's Ministry of Industry and Commerce, imports for the month reached 2.906 million tons, which is 32% more than a year earlier and exceeds the previous record of 2.784 million tons recorded in July 2024. The current surge in LNG imports is not caused by a natural increase in demand, but by forced restructuring on the supply side. About half of India's gas needs are met by imports, and before the war, the absolute leader in supply was Qatar, which accounted for about 45% of Indian LNG imports. Now he is gone. In August, the structure of LNG imports to India already clearly demonstrates "de-catarization". According to the department's data, the United States, with a volume of 524 thousand tons, holds the first place in force, providing 30% of the total imports for the month. Next come Nigeria and Oman. While shipment tracking figures differ slightly from official statistics on specific figures (Kepler estimates US shipments at 858,500 tonnes, or about 35%), they confirm the direction of the shift, with the US replacing Qatar as India's largest LNG source.

India set a record in LNG imports, increasing it by 32%: US displaces Qatar in August 2026, India's LNG imports hit an all-time high. With traditional Middle Eastern supply routes blocked by fighting, the country is searching for alternative gas sources in the Atlantic Ocean at record speed. According to India's Ministry of Industry and Commerce, imports for the month reached 2.906 million tons, which is 32% more than a year earlier and exceeds the previous record of 2.784 million tons recorded in July 2024. The current surge in LNG imports is not caused by a natural increase in demand, but by forced restructuring on the supply side. About half of India's gas needs are met by imports, and before the war, the absolute leader in supply was Qatar, which accounted for about 45% of Indian LNG imports. Now he is gone. In August, the structure of LNG imports to India already clearly demonstrates "de-catarization". According to the department's data, the United States, with a volume of 524 thousand tons, holds the first place in force, providing 30% of the total imports for the month. Next come Nigeria and Oman. While shipment tracking figures differ slightly from official statistics on specific figures (Kepler estimates US shipments at 858,500 tonnes, or about 35%), they confirm the direction of the shift, with the US replacing Qatar as India's largest LNG source.