NEW DELHI — Two liquefied petroleum gas tankers, BW Elm and BW Tyr, are crossing the Strait of Hormuz bound for India, according to ship tracking data from LSEG and Kpler.
The US-Israeli war against Iran has all but halted shipping through the strait, but Iran said this week that “non-hostile vessels” may transit the waterway if they coordinate with Iranian authorities.
The two India-flagged vessels have crossed the Gulf area and are in the eastern Strait of Hormuz, the data showed.
India is gradually moving its stranded LPG cargoes out from the strait, with four LPG tankers moved so far — Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Pine Gas, and Jag Vasant.
As of Friday, 20 Indian-flagged ships including five LPG carriers were stranded in the Gulf, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the federal shipping ministry, said.
LPG carriers Jag Vikram, Green Asha and Green Sanvi are still in the western Strait of Hormuz, LSEG data show.
India, the world’s second-largest LPG importer, is battling its worst gas crisis in decades, with the government cutting supplies for industries to shield households from any shortage of cooking gas.
The country consumed 33.15 million metric tons of LPG, or cooking gas, last year, with imports accounting for about 60% of demand. About 90% of those imports came from the Middle East.
India is also loading LPG onto its empty vessels stranded in the Gulf.
