2 lakh MT LPG, 16.7 lakh MT crude stuck in India-flagged vessels in Strait of Hormuz: Officials

Addressing looming concerns about India’s energy supplies stranded in vessels at the blocked Strait of Hormuz amidst the escalating tensions in West Asia, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Shipping and Waterways told reporters in the daily inter-ministerial briefing Wednesday that Indian-flagged tankers presently in the region that opens into the Persian Gulf are carrying 2 lakh metric tonnes of liquified natural gas (LNG) and 16.7 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of crude oil.

“LNG is about 2 lakh metric tonnes, and crude oil is 16.7 lakh metric tonne,” he informed, adding, “It is [the] approximate as we know today on those Indian-flagged vessels in the West of Strait of Hormuz.”

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This is in addition to the 3 lakh metric tonnes of LPG presently transiting the Western part of the Strait of Hormuz. For context, at present, a total of 22 vessels are operating in the region that opens into the Persian Gulf. Of these, one tanker is carrying LNG, four are carrying crude oil and six LPG.

Earlier this week, two LPG carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, completed their voyage to stations themselves at Mundra Port and Kandla Port, respectively. They were cumulatively carrying cooking gas of approximately 92,712 MT. Further, crude carrier Jag Laadki also completed its journey to Mundra Port earlier in the day. It was carrying approximately 81,000 metric tonnes of Murban crude oil from the United Arab Emirates. In fact, the vessel narrowly escaped when the Fujairah terminal was attacked while it was loading.

In fact, The Hindu learnt from sources privy to the matter that the Indian Navy deployed warships to escort Indian-flagged vessels transiting through the Persian Gulf region. They escorted all three Indian-flagged vessels mentioned, that is, Shivalik, Jag Laadki and Nanda Devi.

(With inputs from Saurabh Trivedi)