India, UAE may sign pacts on strategic petroleum reserves, LPG during PM visit

📌 Summary:

• India and UAE are expected to sign two MoUs in LPG and Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) during PM Modi''s UAE visit on May 15, 2026

• Context: Closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia (Iran-Israel) war has triggered an Indian energy crisis and austerity measures

• UAE is India''s largest LPG source (~40% of imports) and 4th-largest crude supplier (~11% of crude needs)

• The SPR pact is expected to allow UAE''s ADNOC to store crude in Indian SPR caverns and supply during emergencies

• India''s SPRs, managed by ISPRL, hold ~5.33 million tonnes (~10 days of imports) across three caverns — Vishakhapatnam, Mangalore, Padur

• Visit reflects deepening India-UAE energy diplomacy and India''s "Look West" / Gulf strategy under volatile geopolitics

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 IR (India-UAE bilateral; West Asia/Gulf diplomacy); GS3 Energy security and resilience against oil-supply shocks.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• ISPRL (Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited) — subsidiary of OIDB under MoPNG; manages India''s SPRs
• 3 SPR sites — Vishakhapatnam (1.33 MT), Mangalore (1.5 MT), Padur (2.5 MT); total ~5.33 MT (~10 days of imports)
• IEA recommends 90 days of import cover; India has ~74 days total (SPR + commercial)
• Strait of Hormuz — chokepoint between Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman; ~20% of global oil and ~30% of global LNG traverses it
• UAE is a "GCC+" partner in I2U2 grouping (India, Israel, UAE, USA); also part of GCC

🔑 Key Term: Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) — An emergency crude oil stockpile maintained in underground salt caverns to insulate a country from supply disruptions; mandatory for IEA member-aligned countries.