Two India-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have added to the vessels that have managed to transit the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, as Iran allows selective traffic in the vital energy flow chokepoint.
The Green Asha and the Green Sanvi have exited the Strait of Hormuz en route to carrying the key LPG supply to India, Reuters reported on Monday, citing vessel-tracking data.
A third India-flagged LPG-carrying tanker, Jag Vikram, is still west of the Strait of Hormuz but likely headed to transit, too.
The war in the Middle East has stranded much of the energy supplies typically going to India via the Strait of Hormuz, creating a crunch in oil and gas supply in the world’s third-largest crude oil importer, which also depends on LPG for most of its cooking fuel.
India’s priority is to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz of India-flagged vessels carrying vital cargoes, which include LPG, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said last week.
India-flagged vessels carrying LPG passed through the Strait of Hormuz close to the Iranian coastline last month, in a sign that Iran is allowing some Indian vessels to transit the world’s most vital chokepoint for energy flows.
LPG is a key energy source for Indian households, and stranded cargoes in the Middle East have strained the imported supply.
Around 60% of Indian households rely on LPG for their primary cooking fuel, and the blockage at the Strait of Hormuz, from where 90% of all Indian LPG imports pass, has been immediately felt by consumers.
Amid the supply shortage, the Indian government has cut LPG supplies to commercial establishments and industries to have more cooking gas available for household use. Authorities are also pushing for an expansion of the city pipeline gas networks to replace LPG cylinders and use where possible.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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