Two Indian LPG ships carrying 92,700 metric tons of supply cross Strait of Hormuz; to reach by March 16-17

The Ministry of External Affairs notified that two Indian ships carrying a cumulative of 92,700 metric tons has crossed the Strait of Hormuz and will reach the Indian shore by Monday and Tuesday.

“Some ships destined for India have been able to cross through the Strait of Hormuz. Two Indian ships, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, crossed the Strait of Hormuz and are now headed to ports in India. Each of the ships is carrying in excess of 46,000 metric tons of LPG, with a cumulative of 92,700 metric tons. Several of our ships remain in standby in the Gulf region. We propose to continue to remain in touch and coordinate with all concerned countries to ensure a safe and unimpeded transit for them in an effort to ensure our energy security,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

The two vessels are now headed to Mundra and Kandla ports in Gujarat. LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi are carrying 92,700 tonnes of LPG, according to Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Shipping, who spoke in another media briefing.

Shivalik is likely to reach Mundra on March 16, while Nanda Devi is expected to dock at Kandla the following day.

India imports 60 per cent of its LPG needs, with 85-90 per cent of this being sourced from Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE who use the Strait of Hormuz as transit for shipping oil and gas to users. The strait has been effectively closed since the first week of March.

The two ships were among the 24 stranded on the west side of the strait since the war broke out in the region.

Besides the safe passage being an important milestone for Indian diplomacy, the cargo they are carrying is considered critical as shipping constraints had impacted cooking gas LPG supplies.

Several Indian vessels still stuck

Sinha said in all 28 Indian flag vessels were stuck — 24 on the west of the Strait of Hormuz and four on the east.

Besides the two LPG ships, one India-flagged oil tanker, Jag Prakash, carrying gasoline from Oman to Africa, crossed the war-hit strait on Friday.

Sinha said of the 22 remaining Indian-flagged vessels on the west side, six are LPG vessels, one is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, four are crude oil tankers, one is carrying chemical products, three are container ships and two are bulk carriers. Of the remaining, one is a dredger and another is empty, holding no cargo. Three others are on dry docks, meaning on routine maintenance.

“The remaining 22 vessels (on the west side) have 611 seafarers,” he said, adding that Indian authorities including DG Shipping are closely monitoring the situation.

Three vessels remain stuck on the east side with 76 seafarers on board.

Hundreds of ships had been stranded in the narrow sea lane between Iran and Oman since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, and Tehran targeted the region in retaliation.

Jaiswal also said that several Iranian citizens stranded in India due to flight disruptions have been flown back.

“Owing to the widespread flight disruptions on account of the conflict, several Iranian citizens were stranded in India. The Iranian authorities arranged a chartered flight to take back these stranded nationals, which included Iranians who were visiting India as tourists or were stationed here as diplomats. The flight took off from Kochi last night. The passengers also included the non-essential crew of IRIS Lavan, which remains docked in Kochi,” he said.

Meanwhile, port operations across India remain stable. SOPs have been issued for major ports and state maritime boards, according priority berthing to vessels carrying LPG, a fuel that is running short in the country.

Six vessels arrived from different parts of the world at Indian ports and were given safe anchorage, officials said. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways continues to closely monitor the maritime situation in the Persian Gulf.

(With inputs from PTI)