Strait Of Hormuz: Two Indian LPG Vessels Reach Gujarat's Vadinar Terminal, More Expected To Follow, Says Report

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Indian vessel MT Jag Vasant, carrying around 47,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), arrived at a port in Vadinar, Gujarat, on Saturday after transiting the war-hit Strait of Hormuz amid West Asia tensions.

Earlier, sources told ANI that two more merchant vessels carrying petroleum products for India crossed the Strait of Hormu, and the Indian Navy warships were on standby to provide support to them. They said more vessels are expected to follow soon.

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As per the report, a shipment of 47,000 metric tonnes of LPG arrived at the Vadinar Terminal of DPA Kandla in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on Saturday.

The vessel, MT Jag Vasant, is set to transfer its cargo to another ship at anchorage through a Ship-to-Ship (STS) operation, ANI reported.

Indian Navy warships were on standby to provide support to the merchant vessels, sources told ANI.

On March 24, ANI had reported that LPG tankers Pine Gas and Jag Vasan, sailing close to each other, started from the Persian Gulf. They were reportedly carrying roughly a day’s supply of the country’s cooking gas.

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The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways had confirmed that the two tankers, carrying more than 92,000 tons of LPG, had sailed through Hormuz and were expected to reach ports in India between ** March 26 and 28.**

The Pine Gas, which loaded in UAE waters, sailed through the strait, followed by the Jag Vasant carrying LPG from Kuwait, according to ship-tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform, as per Reuters.

Iran permits passage through Strait of Hormuz for 5 countries

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz remains open only to select countries, even as Tehran continues its military operations in the Gulf.

India, China, Russia, Iraq and Pakistan have been granted passage, while others face restrictions, signalling a significant escalation in tensions over one of the world’s most critical energy routes.

“We permitted passage through the Strait of Hormuz for friendly nations including China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan", Araghchi said.

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Speaking at a joint inter-ministerial briefing, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Rajesh Kumar Sinha said authorities are closely monitoring the situation and maintaining coordination with various stakeholders.

“In the Gulf region, there has been no information in the last 24 hours regarding any incident involving Indian-flagged ships or Indian seafarers. All are safe,” Sinha said.

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He said that Indian ships operating in the Persian Gulf are also safe.

“In the Persian Gulf, there are 20 ships sailing under the Indian flag, with around 540 Indians onboard, and they are also safe,” he said.

Sinha further added that the Directorate General of Shipping has been actively responding to queries and concerns through its communication centre.

“In the last 24 hours, the DG Shipping communication centre, which operates 24 hours a day, received 98 calls and 335 emails, all of which were responded to,” he said.

Which Indian carriers have reached India so far?

Previously, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi, carrying about 92,712 tonnes of LPG, had safely reached the Indian shore.

LPG carrier Shivalik reached Mundra, Gujarat, on 16 March, while another LPG tanker, Nanda Devi, reached Kandla port, Gujarat, the next day. Two LPG carriers began their journey on 13 March and crossed the Strait of Hormuz early on 14 March.

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Indian-flagged oil tanker Jag Laadki, with 80,886 tonnes of crude oil from the UAE, reached Mundra on 18 March.

Another tanker, Jag Prakash, carrying gasoline from Oman to Africa, had previously safely crossed the strait and is en route to Tanzania.

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