Two LPG carriers from the UAE and one crude oil carrier from Saudi Arabia are headed towards Indian ports to fill the energy supplies gap even as Navy Chief Dinesh Tripathi has cancelled his official trip to Australia and New Zealand due to the Iran-US war and the ensuing shipping crisis in the Persian Gulf, people familiar with the matter said. Indian-flagged MV Jag Vasant followed by MV Pine Gas, sailing at a distance of five nautical miles apart, left their anchorage at UAE ports at 6 am IST on Monday. (HT_PRINT)
Indian-flagged MV Jag Vasant followed by MV Pine Gas, sailing at a distance of five nautical miles apart, left their anchorage at UAE ports at 6 am IST on Monday for India after Iran gave clearance for the two LPG vessels to cross the highly sensitive strait.
The vessels carrying 92,612.59 MT of LPG transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening, the shipping ministry said.
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The vessels have 33 and 27 Indian seafarers on board, respectively. The Jag Vasant is likely to reach Kandla port on March 26 and Pine Gas is scheduled to reach New Mangalore on March 28, according to the shipping ministry.
In the Gulf of Oman, the LPG ships will be provided escort by Indian Navy warships for 24 hours before they begin their journey towards Indian ports on the west coast.
Additionally, a crude oil carrier, MT Kallista, is loading at the Saudi Arabian port of Yanbu and will depart Tuesday for Paradip port in India via Jeddah port, these people said. The Panama-flagged ship will also be provided escort by Indian Navy ships through the Gulf of Aden in coordination with the petroleum ministry.
Due to constant missile and drone firing across the Persian Gulf, the Indian crews on board tankers in the war zone are highly stressed but the Indian Navy and the ship owners are constantly talking to them to boost their morale.
It is due to the on-going crisis and its impact on Indian energy security that Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi cancelled his bilateral visit to Australia and New Zealand from March 19-23.
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While India has not paid any money to Iran for allowing the transit of the Indian LPG tankers, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Council (IRGC) is not allowing any Indian warship to escort Indian flagged vessels. The Iranian embassy in India on Monday denied reports that Tehran is seeking a payment of $2 million for each vessel that passes through the Hormuz Straits.
The Narendra Modi government has asked the Indian Navy to deploy its Kolkata class destroyers around Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden to ensure safety of Indian flagged ships. Captains of all Indian flagged ships are being constantly contacted to tell them that Indian help is round the corner.