Two tankers with 92,000 MT LPG onboard transit through Strait of Hormuz amid West Asia crisis

Government said that around 1.9 lakh users have shifted from LPG to PNG so far, and approximately 3.5 lakh new PNG connections—both commercial and domestic—have been rolled out in the past three weeks.

• Two LPG carriers near Hormuz amid West Asia tensions
• India's ports remain unaffected, no congestion reported
• LPG supply is a concern but no dry out has been reported

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Two Indian flagged LPG carriers, Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, carrying 92,612.59 tonnes of LPG, have transited through the Strait of Hormuz on March 23 as India monitors energy flows closely against the backdrop of tensions in West Asia, the ministry of ports, shipping, and waterways said.

These vessels are destined for India and are likely to reach ports between March 26 and March 28 and have 33 and 27 Indian seafarers onboard respectively.

Presently, 22 Indian-flagged vessels are stranded at the Strait of Hormuz of which six are LPG carriers, one is an LNG tanker, four vessels are carrying crude oil, one is chemical and products carrier, three are container ships, and two are bulk carriers among other vessels, as per data by shipping ministry.

Of these, one LNG tanker carrying 2 lakh tonnes of cargo, six vessels carrying 3.2 lakh tonnes of LPG, and four vessels carrying 1.6 million tonnes of crude oil remain stuck at the west of the Strait of Hormuz.

Providing a broader shipping update, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said port operations remain unaffected, noting that “no congestion has been reported at any ports.” He added that, over the past day, 13 seafarers have been brought back to India. Alongside the two moving tankers, there are seven LPG vessels already loaded under charters of BPCL and HPCL, while crude shipments are tied to IOCL, Reliance, and PGN International. One LNG vessel chartered by Petronet LNG is also stationed west of the Strait of Hormuz.

Two Indian-flagged LPG tankers -- the Shivalik and Nanda Devi -- safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz on March 14 and have reached India carrying approximately 92,700 metric tons of LPG.

Moneycontrol had earlier reported that India will seek vessel by vessel permission rather than a blanket clearance from Iran for safe passage of its ships from the Strait of Hormuz.

For India, the passage of vehicles is crucial as the country depends substantially on LPG supplies from the Gulf region with 90% of LPG imports passing the Strait of Hormuz. Officials noted that the safe movement of the vessels suggests an effective mechanism has been established to safeguard the transit of Indian energy cargo through the key maritime route of the Strait of Hormuz.

Randhir Jaiswal, additional secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs said that India continues to be in touch with countries concerned for safe and unimpeded transit of its energy requirements.

On the supply front, officials indicated that crude availability remains comfortable. Sujata Sharma, joint secretary at petroleum ministry said “crude oil inventories remain adequate,” suggesting no immediate strain on reserves. However, she acknowledged pressure in cooking gas availability, stating LPG supply “is still a concern, yet no dry out has been reported.”

The government has been expanding alternatives to ease demand. Sharma noted that around 1.9 lakh users have shifted from LPG to PNG so far, and approximately 3.5 lakh new PNG connections—both commercial and domestic—have been rolled out in the past three weeks. At the same time, domestic LPG continues to meet roughly 50–60% of demand, with authorities sourcing cargoes from multiple origins, “wherever available.”

Addressing speculation around reduced refill quantities, she said reports suggesting cuts to about 10 kg in standard 14.2-kg cylinders are “highly speculative.” She also clarified that crude sourcing decisions, including from Iran, are commercial in nature, stating that “purchase of crude from some particular country...are techno-commercial deals by OMCs.”

To manage distribution, commercial LPG allocations have been made across 20 states and Union Territories, with 15,800 tonnes already supplied. Sharma also urged consumers to “try to conserve LPG and LNG.”

Meanwhile, evacuation and travel flows from the Gulf region continue at scale. Aseem R Mahajan said that since February 28, as many as 3,75,000 passengers have returned to India. Air connectivity remains strong, with “95 flights expected to operate from the UAE to India today,” while “Qatar Airways [is] to operate 8-10 flights to India today.” He also noted that “to date 1,031 Indians have crossed out of Iran.”