New Delhi, Apr 11: An India-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker, Jag Vikram, has crossed the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such transit by an Indian vessel since a temporary two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was announced, according to ship-tracking data.
The tanker moved through the strategic waterway between Friday night and Saturday morning and was located in the Gulf of Oman, east of the Strait on Saturday afternoon, proceeding eastwards.
Jag Vikram is the ninth Indian vessel to exit the Persian Gulf since early March, while about 15 India-flagged ships remain in the region, awaiting passage.
Owned by Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Company, Jag Vikram is a mid-sized gas carrier with a deadweight capacity of over 26,000 tonnes.
Trade sources estimate it could be carrying around 20,000 tonnes of LPG.
At least 28 India-flagged vessels were in the Strait of Hormuz region when the West Asia conflict erupted, including 24 on the western side and four on the eastern side of the waterway.
Prior to Jag Vikram’s transit, eight vessels from the western side and two from the eastern side had managed to sail to safety. Several foreign-flagged ships carrying India-bound cargo also remain stranded in the Persian Gulf.
According to MarineTraffic data, hundreds of vessels remain in the region, including 426 tankers, 34 LPG carriers and 19 LNG vessels, many of which had been effectively stranded amid the disruption.
India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer and fourth-largest gas user, imports about 88 per cent of its crude oil, around half of its natural gas needs and nearly 60 per cent of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) requirement, underscoring its dependence on overseas supplies.
More than half of crude imports, about 40 per cent of gas and up to 85-90 per cent of LPG shipments come from Gulf countries and pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy corridor that was shut during the West Asia conflict.
The United States and Iran, earlier this week, agreed to a conditional two-week ceasefire that includes reopening the Strait for shipping.
India curtailed LPG supplies to commercial users such as hotels and restaurants after disruptions to Gulf energy flows, before restoring about 70 per cent of pre-crisis volumes as alternative supplies were secured.
Natural gas supplies were initially cut to industries, including fertiliser plants, to prioritise CNG for transport and piped cooking gas for households. Supplies to fertiliser units have since been partially restored, with operating urea plants receiving about 80 per cent of recent average consumption, while overall allocation to the sector has been raised to around 95 per cent this week.
Gas availability to other industrial and commercial users has also been increased gradually, though it remains below normal levels.
City gas distributors have been directed to prioritise piped natural gas connections for commercial establishments, including hotels, restaurants and canteens, as part of efforts to shift demand away from LPG. (PTI)
