New Delhi, March 19 -- The Union government on Thursday designated energy statistics as a critical national security priority, requiring all organisations within the oil and gas supply chain to provide comprehensive operational data. The governmental directive seeks to establish a unified, real-time data architecture to facilitate rapid responses to supply outages, prioritise vital industries like electricity, agriculture, and domestic fuel, and enable more strategic purchasing decisions.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas (Furnishing of Information) Order, 2026, issued by the Oil Ministry, mandates that refiners, LNG importers, pipeline managers, city gas providers, and petrochemical entities - from both state-owned and private sectors - con...