Two More Indian LPG Carriers Carrying 94,000 MT Safely Transit Strait Of Hormuz

Two Indian-flagged LPG carriers, BW ELM and BW TYR, have safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz and are now heading towards Indian ports, according to a statement issued on Sunday, March 29, by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

The two ships are carrying a combined cargo of about 94,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

BW TYR is expected to reach Mumbai on March 31, while BW ELM is scheduled to arrive at New Mangalore on April 1.

Officials said BW TYR has 27 Indian seafarers on board and is carrying 23,653 tonnes of propane and 22,926 tonnes of butane.

BW ELM has 28 Indian crew members and is transporting 23,860 tonnes of propane and 23,139 tonnes of butane. The cargo on these vessels is meant for Indian oil companies.

Their transit comes at a time when shipping in the Gulf region is being closely watched due to tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Authorities said all Indian seafarers in the region are safe and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. At present, 18 Indian-flagged vessels with 485 Indian seafarers remain in the western Persian Gulf.

The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), along with ship owners, RPSL agencies and Indian missions, is monitoring the situation. Its control room is operating round the clock and has handled 4,523 calls and 8,985 emails since it was activated.

In the last 24 hours alone, 92 calls and 120 emails were received. So far, more than 942 Indian seafarers have been brought back safely, including four in the past day.

Earlier, two other LPG carriers had already reached Indian ports after crossing the same route. Jag Vasant, carrying about 47,000 tonnes of LPG, anchored at Vadinar in Gujarat on Friday evening. Its cargo was later transferred to another vessel.

Pine Gas, another tanker, entered Indian waters on Friday night and is expected to reach Dhamra port in Odisha on April 2. Both ships followed a route along the Iranian coastline as directed by authorities there.

Before these, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi had delivered LPG cargo at Mundra and Kandla ports on March 16 and March 17.

In total, at least four Indian LPG tankers have already completed the crossing in recent days, while BW TYR and BW ELM are the latest to move through the strait.

Three more Indian LPG vessels, Jag Vikram, Green Asha and Green Sanvi, are currently waiting near the western side of the Strait of Hormuz for further instructions. One empty vessel is also being loaded.

Officials said that when tensions began in the region, 28 Indian-flagged vessels were in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Out of these, eight ships have now moved to safer areas. Indian Navy ships are also on standby to assist merchant vessels if required.

India depends on imports to meet around 60 per cent of its LPG demand, with nearly 90 per cent of these imports coming from West Asia.

The arrival of these shipments is expected to support domestic supply, which has been under pressure. India consumed 33.15 million tonnes of LPG last year.

Port operations across the country are continuing normally, with no congestion reported. Maritime boards in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry have confirmed that operations are running smoothly.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and other stakeholders to ensure the safety of seafarers and keep shipping operations running.

Indian missions in the region are in regular contact with the Indian community and are issuing advisories when needed. A special control room remains active to assist Indian nationals, including seafarers, students and others in the region.

References: ANI News, Hindustan Times