The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) on August 07, 2025, notified the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Technical Standards and Specifications including Safety Standards for Petroleum and Petroleum Products Pipelines) Amendment Regulations, 2025 to further amend the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (Technical Standards and Specifications including Safety Standards for Petroleum and Petroleum Products Pipelines) Regulations, 2016.
The new rules, effective from July 23, 2025, are designed to ensure comprehensive oversight.
The new Regulations, 2025, replace the previous Regulation 8 with a new framework. This requires entities to establish a comprehensive system for conducting technical and safety audits during the design, pre-construction, construction, commissioning, and operation phases. For any new projects, detailed documents such as the Detailed Feasibility Report (DFR) and environmental clearances must be submitted to the Board at least one month before construction begins. The PNGRB can monitor compliance directly or through an accredited third party.
The amended regulations lay out a clear punitive process for entities that default on their obligations. A defaulting entity will first be issued a notice and given a reasonable timeframe to rectify the issue. If the entity fails to take remedial action, the Board may impose a civil penalty of up to one crore rupees for each contravention. For continuing failures, an additional penalty of up to ten lakh rupees for every day may be levied. In severe cases, particularly where there is an imminent danger to public safety or in the interest of state security, the Board has the authority to immediately suspend the entity's operations. The opportunity for a hearing may be deferred in such urgent circumstances.
[Notification No. F. No. PNGRB/Tech/18-penalty-T4SReg./(9)/2024/(E-5488)/10]
