Strait of Hormuz shipping disruption leaves up to 19 LPG, crude oil, and LNG ships bound for India stranded

Nineteen ships carrying LPG, crude oil and LNG meant for India remained held up in the Strait of Hormuz. Officials linked the disruption to the expanding war in West Asia. The Strait is a key sea route for Gulf oil and gas exports. India’s shipping authorities tracked both foreign and Indian-flagged vessels in the area.

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At an inter-ministerial briefing, Rajesh Kumar Sinha said 10 foreign-flagged ships with Indian energy cargo were stranded. The list included three LPG vessels, four crude oil tankers, and three LNG carriers. Indian-flagged ships were also stuck, including three LPG tankers, four crude carriers, and one LNG carrier.

Strait of Hormuz ships stranded: Indian-flagged vessels and seafarers

Sinha said, "Our first priority is to get Indian flagged vessels out.\" Sinha added, \"We are yet to reach the stage where we start sending back vessels for refills.\" The remarks came after questions on sending back ships. The focus remained on safe movement and preventing risks to crews.

India’s ministry monitored safety for Indian seafarers, vessel routes, and port activity. Sinha said all Indian seafarers in the region were safe. No incident involving Indian-flagged vessels was reported in the past 24 hours. Sinha said conditions stayed stable for the last 72 hours.

According to Sinha, 18 Indian-flagged vessels were on the west side of the Strait. These ships carried 485 seafarers. Two other Indian-flagged vessels were stranded on the east side. Officials said these were part of a wider pool of about 500 ships affected in the narrow lane.

Strait of Hormuz ships stranded: vessels that sailed out safely

Eight Indian-flagged vessels had already sailed out safely, Sinha said. Two LPG carriers, BW TYR and BW ELM, crossed the conflict-hit zone recently. Together, they carried about 94,000 tonnes of LPG. BW TYR was heading to Mumbai, due on March 31.

BW ELM was travelling to New Mangalore, with an expected arrival on April 1. Earlier, four Indian-flagged LPG tankers also crossed safely. Pine Gas and Jag Vasant carried 92,612 tonnes of LPG. They reached Indian ports between March 26 and March 28.

Before that, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi brought about 92,712 tonnes of LPG. MT Shivalik reached Mundra port in Gujarat on March 16. MT Nanda Devi reached Kandla port on March 17. These arrivals were recorded before the latest rise in tensions.

Other cargo movements were also listed in the briefing. The oil tanker Jag Laadki carried 80,886 tonnes of UAE crude oil. Jag Laadki reached Mundra on March 18. Another tanker, Jag Prakash, moved gasoline from Oman to Africa and was en route to Tanzania.

Strait of Hormuz ships stranded: cargo mix and locations

Among the stranded Indian-flagged ships on the west side were LPG carriers Jag Vikram, Green Asha and Green Sanvi. One empty tanker was being filled with LPG. The other Indian-flagged vessels included one LNG tanker and four crude oil tankers. The group also included a ship carrying chemical products.

The ministry said the remaining ships included three container vessels and two bulk carriers. One vessel in the area was a dredger. Three ships were in dry dock for routine maintenance. Officials also counted one empty tanker that was being loaded with LPG during the disruption.

Sinha said the conflict had slowed or stopped traffic through the Strait. The disruption followed US and Israel attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation. Iran said last week that non-hostile vessels could pass after coordination. Officials said India had not begun planning return voyages for extra supplies.

When the war began, there were 28 Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Of these, 24 were on the west side and four were on the east side. Over the last few days, six vessels from the west and two from the east reached safety, officials said.

With inputs from PTI