On the 15th day of the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, India received some welcome news. The Shipping Corporation of India’s LPG vessel, “Shivalik,” safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Friday night. According to the ship-tracking site MarineTraffic, the ship departed Qatar on March 7 and has a capacity to carry more than 50,000 tons of LPG.
Rising tensions in the region have increased the risk on maritime routes, so the safe passage of this ship is crucial for India. Although there is no shortage of LPG in the country, global uncertainty has led some people to panic-book cylinders. Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Petroleum Ministry, said that hoarding is taking place due to misinformation, while the average domestic LPG delivery cycle is just two and a half days.
To prevent misuse of LPG, Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) system has been implemented and the minimum gap between bookings has been increased from 21 days to 25 days.
Tensions between the US and Iran remain high over the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump claimed that the US military had targeted Iranian military bases on Kharg Island and that, if necessary, oil infrastructure could also be attacked. Approximately 80-90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports come from this island.