Two Indian tankers transit Strait of Hormuz with 92,000 tonnes of LPG, govt confirms movement

LPG tanker Pine Gas, as per Maritime Traffic, was in Oman Gulf while Jag Vasant was in Persian Gulf, last position reported Monday morning

Two Indian-flagged LPG carriers, Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, are currently navigating one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors, the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-tracking data, Bloomberg reported.

Representative image. (Reuters) (REUTERS)

The vessels are part of a small but steady flow of tankers that have continued transiting the strait along routes understood to be cleared by Iran, the report says. These routes run close to Iran’s southern coastline, particularly near the islands of Qeshm and Larak, a path seen as relatively safer amid ongoing regional tensions.

Data show that both ships began moving northwards from the UAE coast early on Monday, aligning with this coastal route strategy. Instead of broadcasting a specific destination, both vessels signaled Indian ownership through their transponders, which is a precautionary measure increasingly adopted by ships in the region to reduce exposure to potential threats.

Their likely destination is India, which is currently facing LPG concerns and has been in discussions with Tehran to secure additional supplies of the fuel, widely used for cooking.

As per the latest positional data on Martime Traffic, the Pine Gas crossed the Hormuz by evening of March 23, and was located in the Gulf of Oman.

In contrast, the Jag Vasant was in the Persian Gulf, with its last reported position logged only in Morning morning.

Pine Gas had entered the Gulf of Oman by March 23 evening, as per Maritime Traffic. (Screenshot of Martime Traffic live map)

Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary, ministry of ports, shipping and waterways, said that the government is tracking their movement but they will be able to tell more information on this on Tuesday. Sinha added the two tankers are carrying 92,000 tonnes of LPG.

India’s last two carriers were granted safe passage after a deal with Iran. The Iranian Navy guided one of those tankers, a senior office onboard the vessel told Bloomberg News.

Jag Vasant had entered the Persian Gulf via Hormuz on February 26, ship-tracking data show. It then filled up with LPG from Kuwait just hours before the war broke out on Feb. 28, and had been stuck since. Pine Gas entered on the same day, and picked up its full load from Ruwais from the UAE.

Jag Vasant was chartered by Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. and Pine Gas by Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd., according to people familiar with the matter. The two state-owned refiners did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)