20
November 2017
Oil and gas
Expert Speak
Gas industry – the new beanstalk?
Great potential for long-term structural growth
In
Jack and the Beanstalk,
Jack’s magical beans turn into a beanstalk, reaching into the
skies overnight. The beanstalk becomes an enabler to a ‘lived happily ever after’ story.
The Gas industry in India could very much be such a beanstalk, believes Mr Darshan
Hiranandani, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of H-Energy.
Key takeaways from our recent conference call with Mr Hiranandani:
Mr Darshan Hiranandani
MD, H-Energy
Mr Hiranandani heads the
energy venture of the
Hiranandani group. He holds a
Masters degree, with a major
in Entrepreneurship and
Finance from the Rochester
Institute of Technology, USA.
Under his able leadership, the
company has ventured into
LNG regas terminals and
natural gas pipeline projects in
India. The company also plans
to develop a liquefaction
project and crude oil
infrastructure in Canada.
The company has chartered a
4 MMTPA Floating Storage
and Re-gasification Unit
(FSRU) from Engie. The FSRU is
expected to be docked at
Jaigarh port from mid-2018.
Jetty construction has been
ongoing since 2017. The EPCM
(Engineering, Procurement,
Constructions and
Management) contract for tie-
in line has been awarded to
Engineers India Limited for
completion of 60km pipeline
from Jaigarh to the existing
Dabhol gas grid. It is also
planning a 635km Natural Gas
pipeline from Jaigarh to
Mangalore with a capacity of
17mmscmd.
Gas is what Telecom was 20 years ago
Lack of a free market and infrastructure in India has constrained the development of
the Gas sector. While coal, petcoke and fuel oil are cheaper alternatives, natural gas is
more economical than alternatives like diesel and naphtha. Then, there is the added
advantage of convenience in terms of continuous supply, consistent quality and no
requirement of storage/inventory. However, the current scenario of a monopolistic
regime and onerous contracts is discouraging. Several small and medium enterprises
prefer to stay away from usage of natural gas, even if it means higher cost and
inconvenience. Going forward, emergence of new market players would increase the
options for the buyers and aid the development of the sector. The regulatory board is
also looking into unbundling of transmission and marketing, which could further open
up the sector for smaller players. The Gas industry is all set to see the transformation
that the Telecom industry has gone through in the last two decades (Exhibit 1).
Huge unmet demand
Along the upcoming Jaigarh-Mangalore route itself, H-Energy believes there are
~27,000 industrial consumers. Till date, as per Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell, only
~7,000 consumers have been connected across India, many of whom might not even
be taking gas all the time. Due to lack of pipeline infrastructure, virtual grids through
Liquified CNG (LCNG) cascades could improve consumption of gas tremendously. The
company has signed master agreements with consumers in several industries for
supply of gas. Several industrial consumers are still paying INR7/kwh+ for their
electricity consumption. LNG could offer good potential in such cases.
Changed global scenario is a perfect enabler
After a long time, we are facing a global glut in supply. The glut has resulted in several
new trends – destination-free contracts, flexible shipping contracts, storage and
trading of LNG, and contracts linked with other commodities like coal and ammonia
instead of conventional oil and gas linked contracts. India is all set to take advantage of
the same with upcoming LNG terminals and FSRUs, and expansion of pipeline
infrastructure.
LNG as transport fuel could open new opportunities
LNG trucks can run as much as 1,000km on a single fill and LNG is 18-20% cheaper than diesel. LNG has been in
usage in China for long as transportation fuel. China has ~240,000 LNG trucks and ~3,500 LNG re-fueling stations.
India approved LNG as a transportation fuel early this year. Only a few weeks ago, the guidelines for opening of
refueling stations have been ratified. H-Energy expects ~10 refueling stations to be added in a year. The company
itself may open five stations. While electric vehicles (EVs) could pose a threat, they do not offer any solution for
heavy cargo movement – heavy trucks could require a 250kg battery pack for just a 50km range! The two leading
heavy vehicle manufacturers in the country are also looking at rolling out LNG buses in the coming months.
Swarnendu Bhushan – Research Analyst
(Swarnendu.Bhushan@MotilalOswal.com); +91 22 6129 1529
Abhinil Dahiwale – Research Analyst
(Abhinil.Dahiwale@MotilalOswal.com); +91 22 3980 4309
Investors are advised to refer through important disclosures made at the last page of the Research Report.
Motilal Oswal research is available on www.motilaloswal.com/Institutional-Equities, Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, Factset and S&P Capital.