Two more Indian-flagged LPG tankers have safely transited the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz on Monday and are expected to reach Indian ports over the next two days, government officials said. These tankers are carrying nearly a day's supply of the country's cooking gas.
The LPG carriers, Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, which sailed in close proximity, departed the Persian Gulf on Monday morning and crossed the strategic waterway shortly thereafter, according to ship-tracking data. Together, the vessels are carrying 92,612 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The tankers are likely to arrive at Indian ports between March 26 and March 28.
Jag Vasant
At a news briefing, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, said Pine Gas has 33 Indian seafarers on board, while Jag Vasant is crewed by 27 Indian nationals. Ship-tracking data indicated both vessels had sailed through waters between Iran's Larak and Qeshm islands, a route believed to help authorities identify vessel ownership before permitting transit through the strait.
Pine Gas
The two tankers were among 22 Indian-flagged vessels that had been stranded in the Persian Gulf after hostilities in the Middle East severely affected movement through the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow but vital shipping lane between Iran and Oman that connects Gulf oil and gas producers to global markets.
Earlier, two other LPG carriers, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi, each carrying roughly a day's cooking gas requirement for India, had safely reached Indian shores. Shivalik docked at Mundra port in Gujarat on March 16, followed by Nanda Devi at Kandla a day later. Both vessels had begun their journey on March 13 and crossed the strait in the early hours of March 14.
At the time the conflict escalated following US-Israel attacks on Iran, 28 Indian-flagged vessels were present near the Strait of Hormuz. Of these, 24 were positioned west of the strait and four to the east. In recent days, two vessels from each side have managed to sail to safety.
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Other Indian ships have also completed safe transits. The crude oil tanker Jag Laadki, carrying 80,886 tonnes of oil from the UAE, reached Mundra on March 18. Another tanker, Jag Prakash, transporting gasoline from Oman to Africa, crossed the strait earlier and is currently en route Tanzania. Of the remaining Indian-flagged vessels in the region, 22 are still on the western side of the strait and two on the eastern side, with a total of 600 seafarers currently on board. Sinha said 11 sailors have since returned to India.
The vessels on the western side originally included six LPG carriers, one liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, four crude oil tankers, one chemical products carrier, three container ships and two bulk carriers. In addition, one vessel is a dredger, another was empty, and three were undergoing routine maintenance in dry dock. The empty vessel has since been loaded with LPG, raising the number of cooking gas carriers in the area to seven.
Once Pine Gas and Jag Vasant reach Indian ports, the number of Indian vessels on the western side of the strait will fall to 20, including five LPG carriers.
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