How two India-bound tankers went ‘dark’ to navigate conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz

How two India-bound tankers navigated conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz

• Two oil tankers safely reached Mumbai after crossing Hormuz Strait
• Tankers disabled tracking for safe passage amid tensions.
• Thailand-flagged ship attacked in Strait, increasing shipping risks

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As tensions in West Asia continue to escalate, raising concerns over India’s energy supplies that transit the Strait of Hormuz — a key passage through which as much as 50% of India’s oil imports move — two vessels carrying crude oil have successfully exited the strait and arrived in Mumbai, according to vessel tracking data and industry sources.

These are the first vessels carrying non-Iranian crude oil to have transited the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict in West Asia escalated on February 28.

The first tanker ‘Shenlong’, which loaded oil from Saudi Arabia’s largest oil export terminal Ras Tanura on March 1, arrived at Mumbai in India on March 10.

The tanker carried 2 million barrels of crude oil and was loaded with Basra crude, a primary export grade from Iraq, industry sources aware of the matter told Moneycontrol.

“Its draught (how deep the ship is in the water) at Mumbai was 15.8 meters, up from 9.3 meters at Ras Tanura, indicating it had loaded,” S&P had said.

The second Liberian-flagged tanker loaded crude oil from Saudi Arabia and is said to carry 1 million barrels of oil, informed industry sources said.

Industry sources told Moneycontrol that the two ships had switched off their automatic identification system (AIS) and transponders while transiting the 33-km wide Strait of Hormuz in order to ensure safe transit amid rising strikes around the region.

Sources said that there were no tracking signals available on March 1 and they were only able to spot the tankers after they transited the Strait on March 6 and March 9 respectively.

Shenlong’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) was turned off before transiting the Strait and then turned on again afterward, S&P Global Commodities at Sea said. The vessel is owned by Shenlong Shipping Ltd. and managed by Greece’s Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd, as per details from S&P.

Ships often turn off their AIS signals, temporarily disappearing from tracking systems and “go dark” during tense situations or if they are operating in a sanctioned or restricted trade.

The ministry of petroleum and natural gas on March 11 said that the country has started receiving cargoes for liquified natural gas and liquified petroleum gas with two LNG cargoes on their way to India amid concerns over shortage of gas. Government officials also said that two crude oil vessels were on their way to India.

On Wednesday, a Thailand-flagged bulk carrier heading for India was attacked while passing through the strait.

The attack triggered a fire on board and prompted an emergency rescue effort, underscoring the growing risks to shipping as tensions between Iran and the United States intensified.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi – their third such conversation since the West Asia crisis began – as New Delhi ramped up efforts to protect its energy security amid a virtual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

An average of 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and oil products transited through the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, accounting for around 25% of the world’s seaborne oil trade, as per data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).