Sharjah: Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tankers – Pine Gas and Jag Vasant – now positioned near Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, are preparing to sail through the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days.
This comes at a time when crude oil shipments through the key route have come to a halt over the past 24 hours, Reuters reported.
While Jag Vasant has been chartered by BPCL, Pine Gas is operated by IOC.
Sources have indicated that the two LPG carriers could soon resume movement after a pause, even as tensions grip the region. Hundreds of ships are waiting in anchor on either side of the Strait pof Hormuz.
The critical route for global energy flows, has seen disruption after Tehran warned it could target vessels attempting to leave the Gulf. Nearly 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass through this narrow waterway.
On Friday, market assessments showed no crude oil tankers had transited the strait in the previous 24 hours. Kpler data also showed that an empty crude tanker, under US sanctions, turned back towards Iranian waters on March 18, as reported by India Today.
Ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic showed both Indian-flagged tankers broadcasting signals that they are preparing for a voyage.
The ships could potentially set sail on Saturday, though there has been no official confirmation.
Details are not immediately available, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in India’s shipping ministry, said when asked about their movement.
India’s foreign ministry is also taking a cautious approach, calling for secure transit of its vessels in the region.
“We are in favour of safe and unhindered movement” of India’s fleet of 22 ships currently in the Gulf, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in touch with global leaders regarding their safe passage, he added.
Iran allowed two Indian-flagged LPG carriers to pass through the strait last week, suggesting that some shipments may still be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.
Ship-tracking data also showed a Pakistan-bound oil tanker successfully navigating the route, indicating that limited movement continues despite the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
The planned movement of the two Indian tankers is being closely watched, as it could signal whether commercial shipping is ready to resume through one of the world’s most sensitive energy corridors.
