A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has exited the Strait of Hormuz and is now en route to the country, according to a PTI report citing an official statement issued on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, carrying 46,313 tonnes of LPG and manned by 20 crew members, 18 of whom are Indians, cleared the crucial shipping chokepoint on May 2. The vessel is expected to arrive at Visakhapatnam on May 13.
The shipment, which can meet about half a day’s LPG requirement in India, is expected to partially ease supply constraints that have persisted since the onset of the West Asia conflict over two months ago.
Ship-tracking data placed the vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday evening. The very large gas carrier, previously used for routes between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the conflict-affected zone since a US blockade targeting Iran-linked vessels began weeks ago, significantly reducing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
As many as 14 Indian-flagged or India-owned vessels remain stranded on the western side of the strait. However, no incidents involving Indian-flagged ships have been reported in the past 24 hours.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew safety and smooth operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping’s control room has handled 8,373 calls and over 17,965 emails since it was activated, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal, with no congestion reported, the statement added.