Two crude oil tankers collectively transporting almost 3 million barrels of West Asian oil have reached India after passing through the unsafe waters of the Strait of Hormuz amid the severe interruption in marine trade via the route. On 12th March (Wednesday), the Liberia-flagged Shenlong landed at the port of Mumbai with around one million barrels of Saudi Arabian crude oil.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation have refineries in the suburbs of the city. The Suezmax tanker Shenlong sailed from the port of Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia on 3rd March.
Likewise, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) with the Indian flag and holding about two million barrels of crude from Iraq, also arrived in Mumbai. It is en route to Odisha’s Paradip port, which is home to a major Indian Oil Corporation refinery. However, the name of the second tanker has not been revealed by officials due to security reasons.
The Strait, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, is believed to have been traversed by both tankers at some point in the last five to six days. These are the first reports of non-Iranian crude oil tankers navigating the crucial chokepoint, where ship traffic has essentially stopped after the crisis in West Asia began on 28th February.
The development has increased expectations that more of India’s energy supplies, which are presently stranded in the Persian Gulf, might find their way to the nation in the near future. According to reports, Iran was only permitting its own oil tankers heading to China to cross through the strait.
India is reportedly in talks with Iran to ensure the safe passage of vessels bound for the nation, particularly oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers. There are currently 28 Indian-flagged ships operating in the Persian Gulf, according to India’s Shipping Ministry. Of them, 4 are east of the strait with 101 Indian seafarers on board, and 24 are on its west with 677 Indian seafarers. A report issued by the Directorate General of Shipping highlighted that 7 of these ships headed out and entered the Arabian Sea in recent days, and another has continued sailing in the direction of Angola.
