Delhi: India’s petroleum and gas supply system is facing a serious challenge as 22 Indian flagged ships are stuck in the Persian Gulf waiting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. A total of 1.67 million tonnes of crude oil, 3.2 lakh tonnes of LPG and about 2 lakh tonnes of LNG are loaded in these ships. This information was given by Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary, Shipping Ministry, on Wednesday. At the time of the outbreak of war in the Middle East, there were 28 Indian ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, of which 24 ships were stranded on the western side and 4 ships were stranded on the eastern side. Last week, 2 ships from each side managed to get out safely.
What is the current situation?
Western Cross: 22 ships
Eastern Crossing: 3 ships
The 22 ships on the Western Cross included:
6 LPG Carriers
1 lng tanker
4 crude oil tankers
1 Chemical Products Career
3 container ships
2 bulk carriers
1 dredger
1 empty ship
3 For general maintenance in ship docks
Sinha said all 611 sailors were safe, and efforts were underway to allow ships to pass through the war-torn strait.
Strait of Hormuz status
The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, has been nearly closed following attacks by the US and Israel and a response by Iran. Currently, approximately 500 tanker ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf, including:
108 crude oil tanker
166 oil product tanker
104 Chemical/Product Tanker
52 chemical tanker
53 other tankers
According to analysts, Iran is allowing selected ships to pass only after verification. In recent days, 4 ships have safely exited the Strait of Hormuz, including 3 bulk carriers (2 Greek and 1 Indian) and 1 Aframax tanker (Pakistan).
impact on india
India depends heavily on imports for its supplies:
88% crude oil
50% natural gas
60% lpg
Before the war, most of India’s crude oil came from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE, which passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Whereas 85–95% of LPG and 30% of gas comes through this route. While crude oil supplies are being met to some extent from Russia, West Africa, the US and Latin America, gas and LPG supplies to industrial and commercial users have been affected.
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