Middle East Conflict: Good News For India As Two Ships Exit Strait Of Hormuz With 94,000 Ton LPG

Tehran: Amidst the ongoing Middle East conflict involving Iran, US and Israel, significant good news has emerged for India. Two additional Indian-flagged LPG tankers have safely exited the war-affected Strait of Hormuz and are expected to reach Indian shores within the next few days. These vessels carry a supply of cooking gas sufficient to meet approximately one day's consumption needs for the country.

What did the authorities say?

An official statement noted, "Two LPG vessels—BW TYR and BW ELM—carrying an LPG cargo of approximately 94,000 tonnes, have safely transited the region and are now heading toward the Indian coast."

While the BW TYR is bound for Mumbai and is expected to arrive on March 31, the BW ELM is heading toward New Mangalore, with its arrival anticipated on April 1. Due to attacks by the U.S. and Israel, coupled with Iran's extensive retaliation, the movement of ships through the strait has come to a near standstill. This narrow maritime passage serves as the primary route for exporting oil and gas from the Gulf nations to the rest of the world. However, Iran stated last week that "vessels belonging to non-hostile nations may transit this route following coordination with Iranian authorities."

Is Iran allowing Indian ships to traverse Strait of Hormuz? 

Prior to this, four other Indian-flagged LPG tankers had already safely exited this route. The *Pine Gas* and *Jag Vasant*, carrying 92,612 tonnes of LPG, arrived at Indian ports between March 26 and March 28. Earlier, the *MT Shivalik* and *MT Nanda Devi*—carrying approximately 92,712 tonnes of LPG—had arrived at Gujarat's Mundra Port on March 16 and Kandla Port on March 17, respectively.

For a nation that meets nearly 60 percent of its cooking gas requirements through imports from Gulf countries, the arrival of these vessels will play a crucial role in alleviating the ongoing LPG supply crunch. India consumed 33.1 million tonnes of LPG last year, with approximately 60 percent of the demand being met through imports. Of this, 90 percent of the imports originated from West Asia.

Over the past few days, six vessels traveling westward and two vessels traveling eastward have successfully and safely exited the region. Another tanker, 'Jag Prakash'—which was transporting petrol from Oman to Africa—has also safely exited while en route to Tanzania. The LPG vessels 'Jag Vikram', 'Green Ashi', and 'Green Sanvi' currently remain within the Strait of Hormuz. One empty vessel is currently being loaded with LPG. The control room of the Directorate General of Shipping is operating around the clock and has, to date, handled 4,523 calls and 8,985 emails. This includes 92 calls and 120 emails received within the last 24 hours.

Is India Sourcing LPG from the US and Argentina?

Following the 'closure' of the Strait, India has been sourcing LPG from countries such as the United States and Argentina. A statement noted, "There are a total of 18 Indian-flagged vessels in the Western Persian Gulf region, carrying 485 Indian seafarers." Initially, at the onset of the conflict in West Asia, there were 28 Indian-flagged vessels within the Strait. Of these, 24 were heading westward, and four were moving in an easterly direction.