After Shivalik And Nanda Devi, Two More Indian LPG Tankers Prepare to Cross War-Hit Strait of Hormuz

New Delhi: Amid raging war in West Asia, two Indian-flagged Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tankers are reportedly preparing to sail through the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, with no crude oil tankers having transited the waterway in the past 24 hours, ​according to shipping data and sources, Reuters reported.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, handles nearly a quarter of the global crude oil trade.

While the outbreak of Iran-US conflict on February 28 left hundreds of vessels immobilized in the passage between Iran and Oman, a successful diplomatic intervention by India allowed two of its ships, the Shivalik and Nanda Devi, to navigate the strait safely and return to Gujarat.

Notably, hundreds of vessels have dropped anchor since Tehran threatened to ​attack ships attempting to leave the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, through which ⁠about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flow.

According to market assessments from sources on ​Friday, based on available data, there had been no voyages over the past 24 hours by crude tankers through the waterway, with one empty crude oil tanker, hit with U.S. sanctions, returning towards Iranian waters on March ​18, separate Kpler data showed.

Where are they positioned?

The Indian-flagged LPG tankers Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, which are anchored ​near the United Arab Emirates hub of Sharjah within the Gulf, broadcast that they were preparing for a voyage, ‌MarineTraffic ⁠ship-tracking data showed on Friday.

While Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary with India’s federal shipping ministry, said immediate details were not available, when asked on Friday if the vessels were preparing to sail, a trade source familiar with the matter said the two LPG tankers could potentially set sail on ​Saturday. 

‘In favour of safe and unhindered movement’

India's foreign ministry spokesperson, ​Randhir Jaiswal, said ⁠separately on Friday that the country was "in favour of safe and unhindered movement” of India's fleet of 22 vessels which were inside the Gulf, adding ​that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was talking to other leaders about their ​safe passage. 

⁠The Jag Vasant was chartered by BPCL and the Pine Gas by IOC. The two Indian refiners did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Pak-bound tanker

Last week, Iran allowed two Indian-flagged LPG carriers to sail through ⁠the strait, ​sources told Reuters, suggesting that some shipments may still be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

Latest Ship-tracking data reports also showed a Pakistan-bound oil tanker ​passing through Hormuz in recent days, indicating that some countries are able to negotiate safe passage for their vessels despite the ​U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Also Read: ‘Close To Meeting Our Objectives’: Three Weeks In, Trump Considers 'Winding Down' Iran War; Says Others Must Guard Strait of Hormuz