Iran war: Two more LPG carriers set to leave the Strait of Hormuz for India
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid the escalating war in West Asia and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address in the Lok Sabha, expressing concerns over the emerging situation, two more Indian-flagged LPG tankers are set to cross the Strait of Hormuz to head for India, the media reported on Monday.
The two LPG tankers, named Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, sailing close to each other, were near the waters between Iran’s Larak and Qeshm islands — possibly to make their identity clear to Iranian authorities before they cross the Strait.
The two ships were among the 22 Indian-flagged vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf after the ongoing conflict nearly closed the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connects the oil and gas-producing Gulf countries to the rest of the world.
According to reports, the two Indian-flagged LPG tankers started their journey from the Persian Gulf and are expected to cross the sensitive Strait of Hormuz before heading to Indian ports, ship tracking data showed.
Ship tracking data showed the two ships could cross the waterway sometime on Monday before heading to Indian ports.
Earlier, the first two LPG tankers, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi, carrying about 92,712 tonnes of cooking gas—roughly a day’s consumption in India—had safely reached the Indian shore last week.
When the conflict broke out with the US-Israel attacking Iran on February 28, there were 28 Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Of these, 24 were on the west side of the Strait and four on the east side.
In the last few days, two vessels from each side have managed to sail to safety, the media reported.
LPG carrier Shivalik reached Mundra Port in Gujarat on March 16, while Nanda Devi reached Kandla Port, also in Gujarat, the next day. They had started journey on March 13 and crossed the Strait of Hormuz early on March 14.
The third ship, Indian-flagged oil tanker Jag Laadki, with 80,886 tonnes of crude oil from the UAE, reached Mundra on March 18. The fourth, Jag Prakash, carrying gasoline from Oman to Africa, had previously safely crossed the Strait and is en route to Tanzania.
Six of the remaining Indian-flagged vessels on the west side were LPG carriers — two of these have set sail for India.
Of the remaining, one is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, four are crude oil tankers, one is transporting chemical products, three are container ships, and two are bulk carriers. Additionally, one vessel is a dredger, another is empty, and three are in dry dock undergoing routine maintenance.
Overall, close to 500 tanker vessels remain confined within the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. These include 108 crude oil tankers, 166 oil product tankers, 104 chemical/product tankers, 52 chemical tankers and 53 other tanker types.
Analysts say Iran may allow select vessels to transit the Strait after verification. A few vessels have transited outbound through the Strait with a short diversion via the Larak-Qeshm Channel.
This appears to be a verification process whereby Iran confirms the ownership, cargo and vessel are not of the US, or belong to those that Iran has permitted transit to.
India imports about 88 percent of its crude oil, 50 percent of natural gas, and 60 percent of LPG. Before the war broke out, more than half of the crude oil that India imported came from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE, which use the Strait for shipping.
As much as 85-95 percent of LPG and 30 percent of the gas came through the Strait. While the disruption in crude oil has been partially offset through alternative sources, such as Russia, West Africa, the US and Latin America, gas and LPG supplies to industrial and commercial users have been curtailed.
