LPG tanker Shivalik reaches Gujarat port after crossing war-hit Strait of Hormuz

India’s LPG tanker Shivalik arrived at Mundra Port in Gujarat’s Kutch district on Monday morning after crossing the Strait of Hormuz, carrying roughly 40,000 metric tonnes of cooking gas from Qatar. A critical delivery, at a time when the West Asia conflict has left LPG supplies strained across the country.

The vessel, operated by the Shipping Corporation of India, sailed from Ras Laffan in Qatar and docked at around 9 AM. Iran had been restricting movement through the Strait of Hormuz amid its conflict with the United States and Israel, but eventually granted special transit clearance to the Shivalik, and to a second tanker, the Nanda Devi, following intensive diplomatic negotiations between New Delhi and Tehran. The Indian Navy escorted both ships through the volatile corridor.

As many as 24 Indian-flagged vessels were stuck in the Persian Gulf when the crisis peaked. Two have just made it through, with The Nanda Devi now expected at Kandla Port, also in Gujarat, on March 17. Together, the two tankers are bringing approximately 92,712 metric tonnes of LPG, enough to fill nearly 68 lakh domestic cylinders. India’s average daily consumption sits at around 55 lakh.