Two India-bound LPG tankers transit Strait of Hormuz amid shipping disruptions
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Two India-bound liquefied petroleum gas tankers, BW Elm and BW Tyr, are currently crossing the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship tracking data from LSEG and Kpler.
The movement comes despite major disruptions to shipping in the region due to the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which has significantly reduced vessel traffic through the strategic waterway. Iran has stated that “non-hostile vessels” may still pass through the strait if they coordinate with its authorities.
Data shows that the two India-flagged vessels have already crossed the Gulf area and are now navigating the eastern stretch of the Strait of Hormuz.
India has been working to move stranded LPG shipments out of the region, with four tankers — Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Pine Gas, and Jag Vasant — already relocated. However, as of Friday, 20 Indian-flagged ships, including five LPG carriers, remained stranded in the Gulf, according to shipping ministry official Rajesh Kumar Sinha.
Other LPG carriers, including Jag Vikram, Green Asha, and Green Sanvi, are still positioned in the western part of the strait, data indicates.
The developments come as India faces one of its most severe gas supply challenges in decades. The government has reduced industrial gas supplies to prioritise household consumption of cooking fuel.
India, the world’s second-largest importer of LPG, consumed 33.15 million metric tonnes last year, with imports meeting about 60 percent of demand. Around 90 percent of these imports originate from the Middle East, making the Strait of Hormuz a critical transit route.
Authorities are also loading LPG onto empty vessels stranded in the Gulf as part of efforts to stabilise supplies.