The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) is a ministry of the Government of India, functioning as an institution responsible for the entire value chain of petroleum, natural gas, and their products. The Ministry was created in 1963 by bifurcating the Ministry of Scientific Research & Cultural Affairs, and was initially named the Ministry of Petroleum & Chemicals, before being renamed in 1985 after the department of chemicals was separated. Its core purpose is to ensure the country's energy security and self-sufficiency by managing the exploration, production, refining, distribution, marketing, and conservation of hydrocarbons.
The MoPNG works by formulating and implementing policies, such as the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), launched in 2016, which provides a uniform licensing system for all hydrocarbons. It administers key legislation, including the Petroleum Act, 1934 and the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948. The Ministry monitors the performance of major Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) like Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and GAIL (India) Limited. It connects to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), an autonomous body that regulates the refining, processing, storage, transportation, distribution, marketing, and sale of petroleum and natural gas. Social schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), launched in 2016, which provides LPG connections to women from BPL households, are also under its purview.
Recently, the MoPNG has introduced significant changes, including reforms enacted on March 24, 2026, invoking the Essential Commodities Act, to streamline the expansion of the piped natural gas (PNG) network. This push for PNG is accompanied by the strict enforcement of a 'one household, one connection' rule, requiring households with an active PNG connection to surrender their domestic LPG cylinder connection, also notified under the Essential Commodities Act. Furthermore, the Ministry released the Draft Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules, 2025, which proposes a stabilization clause to protect investor interests from adverse policy shifts and permits the integration of renewable energy projects within existing oilfield blocks.