Nagpur: Two ships carrying over 11,200 metric tonne of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) chartered by Nagpur-based Confidence Petroleum, remain stranded for 15 days at the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia war. This was confirmed by the company chairman, Nitin Khara, to TOI.The disruption is affecting not only domestic LPG supplies, but also consumers in neighbouring countries, including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.Confidence Petroleum imports over 40,000 metric tonne LPG every month, supplying both cooking gas and the auto-LPG sector. The company claims to be the largest private-sector LPG player in India in terms of scale. In addition to meeting domestic demands, it also exports cooking gas to neighbouring countries after receiving shipments at Indian ports.One vessel carrying more than 11,000 metric tonne LPG has reached Jaigad Port in Ratnagiri. However, Maharashtra govt and the ministry of petroleum have directed the company to unload the entire stock within India and halt exports. Earlier, the company planned to unload part of the consignment for domestic use and export the remaining quantity.“Stopping exports would affect consumers in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh too, though meeting domestic needs is the first priority now,” said company sources.The company fills nearly 14 lakh LPG cylinders every month, making it the largest private player in terms of cylinder volume, according to Confidence Petroleum chairman Nitin Khara.The company operates more than 300 auto-LPG filling stations across India. Khara warned if the situation continues, existing LPG stocks may last only about a week. Other auto-LPG suppliers are also facing shortages, and many have already run out of stock. This has increased pressure on Confidence’s outlets, which still have some supply available, he said. The ban on exports from Indian ports is expected to be applicable to other private sector companies too, said sources.Like the public sector oil marketing companies, there is no bar on private players supplying cooking gas to commercial players. This led to hoteliers rushing to private companies for LPG cylinders. Confidence Group also got a harried call from a CEO of one of the food delivery apps. The head honcho expressed concern that if hotels shut down, the livelihood of thousands of delivery boys across the country would be affected.Tightrope walk for Manas AgroManas Agro is the other major private player in the LPG business. The company markets cooking gas under the name Purti and has fuel stations for the auto sector too. Sources in the company said it’s doing a tightrope. However, it has been able to cater to existing customers. Manas Agro mainly supplied LPG to the commercial sector. The priority is to supply gas to hotels, especially smaller players, so eateries do not shut down. Manas, on the other hand, mainly depends on third-party purchases of bulk LPG within the country instead of directly importing, said a source.
