The first liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker has successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Iran reached a yesterday before docking at the port of Dahej in Gujarat, India.
The Malta-flagged Disha – operated by state-owned Shipping Corporation of India – is also the first Indian merchant vessel to cross the strait in nearly two months.
According to Shipping Ministry officials, the carrier was laden with 62,370 tonnes of LNG from Qatar, which will be unloaded at Dahej before being supplied to different parts of the country.
The cargo is contracted by India’s largest gas importer, Petronet LNG, which has an agreement with Qatar for the supply of 7.5 million tonnes of LNG annually. Signed in 2024, the 20-year deal is estimated to be worth $78bn.
The ship had been stranded on the western side of the strait for more than three months as conflict between the US, Israel and Iran escalated, leading to the closure of one of the world’s busiest energy shipping routes.
It was followed yesterday by the Mraikh, a tanker carrying LNG from the Ras Laffan refinery to Port Qasim in Karachi, Pakistan. Three tankers carrying oil had also crossed the waterway as of 2pm UAE time, according to data from Kpler.
The strait is the world’s most important oil and gas chokepoint, linking major Gulf producers including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to global markets. Around a fifth of global LNG trade passes through the waterway.
During an inter-ministerial briefing on Thursday, Opesh Kumar Sharma, Director in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said the government is working to ensure the return of other Indian vessels and energy cargoes.
“We are closely coordinating with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, Ministry of External Affairs, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure our vessels return as soon as possible,” he said.
On the status of Indian vessels in the region, he added: “As of now, no other Indian-flag vessel has moved out after Disha.”
The Malta-flagged LNG tanker Disha is the first vessel to cross the strait and dock after the US-Iran peace deal was signed ©Donald MacLeod
The arrival is being closely watched as a test of whether LNG flows through Hormuz can normalise after months of disruption to global energy markets.
It also marks a watershed moment for India’s energy sector, which depends on Qatar for more than 40% of its LNG imports. India imported more than 27 million tonnes of LNG in 2024/25, with Qatar supplying 11.2 million tonnes, according to government data.
The disruption proved costly. India paid an estimated $353m extra between March and April as premium US-linked and spot cargoes replaced Qatari supplies.
The crisis is also expected to accelerate India’s efforts to diversify LNG imports, with state buyers increasingly looking at supplies from the US, Australia and other producers to reduce exposure to geopolitical risks in the Gulf.
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India may also look towards the UAE, which is devising a to reduce dependency on the strait.
The closure carried a human cost as well. Three Indian crew members were killed when three vessels came under US attack near Oman in the strait last week.
While the arrival of Disha signals a tentative recovery in LNG trade through Hormuz, officials cautioned that several Indian vessels remain in the region and shipping movements have yet to fully normalise.
This process could take at least several months, during which QatarEnergy is expected to LNG production at Ras Laffan. It expects to lift output to about 50% of capacity one month after safe passage through the strait is restored and to roughly 80% within two months, it stated.
The timeframe is likely to extend further when it comes to reducing pricing. Consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie expects that prices will for the next 18 months before a glut of new capacity comes onstream over the next five years, leading to a period of oversupply and lower prices.
