Two more India-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers that had been anchored in the Persian Gulf crossed over to the east of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday afternoon, according to ship tracking data. The two tankers—BW Elm and BW Tyr—were broadcasting through their transponders that they were Indian ships with Indian crew, in an evident effort to identify themselves to Iranian authorities keeping a close watch on the Strait of Hormuz—the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connections the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman—that is a critical chokepoint for global energy flows from West Asia. Such identity broadcasts have become a standard of sorts among vessels crossing the strait in coordination with Iranian authorities.
BW Elm and BW Tyr follow four India-flagged LPG tankers—Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Jag Vasant, and Pine Gas—that had transited the Strait of Hormuz over the past fortnight. India has been engaged with Iran at the diplomatic level for safe passage of Indian ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where vessel movements have effectively come to a halt amid the ongoing West Asia war.
Earlier this week, Iran said that non-hostile vessels linked to countries other than the US, Israel, and their allies can cross the strait in coordination with Iranian authorities. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently said the strait remains operational for nations that have engaged with Tehran and are considered friendly, adding that vessels from China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan had been allowed to move their vessels from through the maritime chokepoint, according to Iranian State TV.
Also Read | Explained: Difference between LPG and LNG, and why West Asia war affected LPG supply more
According to the Shipping Ministry, as of Friday, 20 India-flagged vessels—including five LPG tankers –were in the Persian Gulf. With BW Elm and BW Tyr having crossed over, the number of Indian ships to the east of the Strait of Hormuz now stands at 18, including three LPG tankers, four crude oil tankers, one liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, one chemical products, three container ships, two bulk carriers, and three vessels undergoing routine maintenance. Scores of vessels are stranded in the Persian Gulf since the war began, with only a few being able to safely transit its fraught waters.
BW Elm and BW Tyr are owned by Chennai-based LPG shipping company BW Global United LPG, according to shipping databases. The two tankers have deadweight capacities of over 58,000 tonnes each. Deadweight tonnage is the total weight a vessel can carry, including cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, and crew. The two tankers are estimated to be carrying LPG worth over a day of India’s pre-West Asia war consumption. The country’s current LPG consumption is lower amid a supply crunch due to the war.
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has created a major headache for India, which depends on imports to meet a bulk of its energy needs. Around 40% of India’s crude oil imports, over 50% of its LNG imports, and a whopping 90% of its LPG imports transited the Strait, making the chokepoint particularly critical for India’s LPG supplies. India’s annual LPG consumption stands at a little over 33 million tonnes, with an import dependency level of 60%. With 90% of India’s LPG imports coming from West Asia, the Strait of Hormuz effectively sees the movement of around 54% of India’s LPG consumption.
Even as the effective halt in transits through the Strait of Hormuz continues to be in place, there are strong indications that Tehran is selectively allowing some traffic to transit the strait’s fraught waters by providing negotiated safe passages based on its talks with other governments and stakeholders, according to industry watchers and vessel tracking data. Rather unusual routes through Iran’s territorial waters taken by vessels that recently transited the Strait of Hormuz are a major signal of Tehran running a checkpoint of sorts and regulating the flow of maritime traffic through the Strait, which accounts for one-fifth of global crude oil and LNG flows.
Story continues below this ad
Earlier this week, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the country has adopted a “responsible approach” by implementing “a series of precautionary measures” to prevent the “additional risks on ships and seafarers in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman”. “Accordingly, and as repeatedly emphasized, the Strait of Hormuz is not closed, and maritime traffic through it has not been suspended. Navigation in the Strait continues, subject to compliance with the aforementioned necessary measures and considerations arising from the wartime situation,” it said in a statement.
“Non-hostile vessels, or those belonging to or affiliated with other countries, provided that they do not participate in or cooperate with acts of aggression against Iran and comply with the declared safety and security regulations and measures, may, in coordination with the competent Iranian authorities, benefit from safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” it added, while maintaining that vessels linked to the US, Israel, and their allies “do not qualify as engaging in normal and non-hostile passage”.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran once again emphasizes that any arrangements, initiatives, or mechanisms related to the safety and security of navigation in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman must be undertaken with full respect for the rights and interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in coordination with its competent authorities, and with due regard to the realities arising from the aggression and the situation of conflict,” the statement read.
