Indian LPG tankers in Hormuz: India got some relief on Monday as two more Indian-flagged LPG tankers safely crossed the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz and continued their journey towards Indian ports. Officials said Green Sanvi is carrying 46,650 tonnes of cargo and is likely to reach an Indian port on April 7. Another ship, Green Asha, is carrying 15,500 tonnes and is expected to arrive on April 9.
At a briefing, Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, gave an update on the situation. He said, “Indian maritime operations remain safe and uninterrupted amid West Asia crisis. 16 Indian-flagged vessels with 433 seafarers are in the region; two LPG carriers, Green Sanvi and Green Asha, safely crossed Strait of Hormuz,” He also spoke about reports claiming Iran was charging transit fees and said, “we have no information of such payments.”
Why This Matters for India?
These ship movements matter a lot for India because the country depends heavily on imports for cooking gas. Around 60% of India’s LPG needs come from imports. Last year, India used 33.15 million tonnes of LPG and nearly 90% of those imports came from West Asia. So when ships carrying LPG safely cross this route, it helps reduce worry about supply problems back home.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important sea routes for oil and gas. Since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28 and Iran responded, shipping through this narrow passage has been badly affected.
Even so, Iran has reportedly said that “non-hostile vessels” may still pass after proper coordination with its authorities. With Green Sanvi and Green Asha making it through, the number of Indian-flagged LPG tankers that have crossed this route has now reached eight.
Many Ships are Still Waiting in the Gulf
Even with this fresh progress, many Indian ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf. Officials said 16 vessels remain there. These include one loaded LNG carrier, two LPG tankers with one loaded and one empty, six crude carriers with five loaded and one empty, three container ships, one dredger, one ship carrying chemical cargo, and two bulk carriers.
Last week, BW TYR and BW ELM brought around 94,000 tonnes of LPG through the area. BW TYR reached Mumbai on March 31, while BW ELM reached New Mangalore on April 1. Before that, four Indian-flagged LPG tankers named Pine Gas, Jag Vasant, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi had also completed safe passage and delivered more than 1.85 lakh tonnes of LPG to Indian ports during March.
At the start of the conflict, 28 Indian-flagged vessels were in the Strait of Hormuz region. Since then, 10 vessels have crossed safely, with eight moving from the western side and two from the eastern side. Along with gas carriers, some oil ships also made it through. Jag Laadki, carrying 80,886 tonnes of crude from the UAE, reached Mundra on March 18. Another ship, Jag Prakash, which was carrying gasoline from Oman to Africa, also crossed earlier and is now on its way to Tanzania.
