According to recent ship tracking data provided by LSEG and Kpler, two additional Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tankers, identified as the Green Asha and the Green Sanvi, have successfully exited the Gulf region.

These vessels are transporting vital fuel supplies destined for the South Asian nation, which is currently grappling with a severe energy shortage.

While these two ships have made progress, a third vessel named the Jag Vikram remains positioned to the west of the Strait of Hormuz. The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has caused a near-total cessation of commercial shipping through this critical maritime chokepoint. 

However, Iranian authorities have indicated that vessels deemed "non-hostile" may still transit the waterway, provided they coordinate their movements directly with Iranian officials.

The Green Asha and Green Sanvi have now crossed the primary Gulf area and reached the eastern section of the Strait of Hormuz. Their successful passage brings the total number of Indian-flagged LPG carriers that have managed to navigate the strait during this period of heightened tension to eight. This movement is part of a broader, gradual effort by India to retrieve stranded cargo.

Several other vessels, including the Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Pine Gas, Jag Vasant, BW Elm, and BW Tyr, have already completed their journeys and reached Indian shores. These arrivals are a welcome relief for India, which currently holds the position of the world's second-largest importer of LPG. The nation is presently enduring its most significant gas crisis in several decades.

In response to the dwindling supplies, the Indian government has been forced to implement strategic cuts to industrial gas allocations. These measures are designed to prioritise and shield domestic households from potential shortages of cooking gas. The scale of the challenge is significant, as India consumed 33.15 million metric tons of LPG last year, with imports fulfilling approximately 60% of that total demand.

The Middle East remains the cornerstone of India’s energy security, providing roughly 90% of the country's LPG imports.

Beyond extracting full tankers, Indian authorities are also focused on loading fresh LPG supplies onto empty vessels that had previously been stranded within the Gulf, ensuring a continuous effort to stabilise the national supply chain.

Reuters