Two Indian gas tankers flying the Indian flag successfully arrived in India from the UAE after crossing the crucial maritime energy bottleneck of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has restricted access to the strait due to its conflicts with Israel and the US, but India, along with a few other countries, has been granted limited passage.
The vessel BW TYR, carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), completed its journey from Ras Al Khaimah port in the UAE to Mumbai anchorage in six days, arriving on March 31. Another tanker, BW ELM, which is transporting gas for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), also crossed the Strait of Hormuz and reached near New Mangalore on April 1.
BW TYR has 27 Indian crew members and is laden with 23,653 metric tonnes of propane and 22,926 metric tonnes of butane. Meanwhile, BW ELM carries 28 Indian seafarers and is loaded with 23,860 metric tonnes of propane and 23,139 metric tonnes of butane. Rajesh Kumar Sinha, the Special Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, confirmed that eight Indian-flagged vessels have safely passed through the strait, with two tankers having delivered a total LPG cargo of about 94,000 tonnes to India.
During a media briefing on March 30, Sinha emphasized the government’s ongoing monitoring of the situation in West Asia, particularly focusing on the safety of Indian seafarers, vessel movements, and port operations amidst the regional conflict. Currently, around 10 foreign-flagged ships carrying energy supplies to India are stuck in the Persian Gulf, while 18 Indian-flagged vessels transporting LPG, crude oil, and LNG are anchored west of the affected Strait of Hormuz.
The first crude oil shipment to reach India through the strait arrived on March 12, following diplomatic efforts by New Delhi to secure safe passage for its oil tankers after discussions between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.