India's NDTV reported that a LPG tanker on its way to India passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the afternoon of March 13 without incidents, despite escalating military tensions in the Middle East and Iran's announcement of a regional blockade. Maritime transport monitoring sources said that another ship will also soon depart towards the Indian market.
This information appeared at the same time as Iranian Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali affirmed that Tehran is ready to create conditions for oil tankers to enter India through the Strait of Hormuz safely.
According to Mr. Fathali, the long-standing friendly relationship and common interests between the two countries are the reasons why Iran prioritizes ensuring this transport corridor.
Yes, because India and Iran are friends. We have common interests and common destiny. When Indian people are struggling, that is also our difficulty, and vice versa," the Iranian Ambassador said when asked about the LPG tanker crossing the strait.
The Iranian diplomat said that the two countries need to support each other in the context of the unstable regional situation, especially when the global energy market is under great pressure.
India currently has to import about 50% of its natural gas demand from the international market. Of which, about 20% comes from Qatar, one of the world's largest suppliers of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
However, this supply was disrupted after Iran's missile attacks on gas fields in Qatar forced Qatar's national energy corporation QatarEnergy to temporarily suspend production. This raised concerns about gas shortages in many regions of Asia.
To cope with the risk of supply disruption, the Indian Ministry of Oil has issued new guidelines to regulate the distribution and use of domestic gas. The country's government divides consumption sectors into 4 priority groups to ensure energy sources for essential industries.
Since the US-Iran war broke out 2 weeks ago, many large oil tankers have had to anchor outside the area due to security risks when Iran announced it would tightly control the Strait of Hormuz.
This shipping line is only about 50km wide at its narrowest point and has an average depth of about 60m, making it one of the most easily blockaded points in the world. About 1/5 of the world's oil is transported through this area every day.
However, Indian officials say that the country's energy situation is still under control. According to the Ministry of Oil and Natural Gas, more than 70% of India's crude oil imports have now been redirected through routes that do not pass through Hormuz, helping to reduce dependence on this strategic bottleneck.
At a recent inter-ministerial meeting, Ms. Sujata Sharma - official in charge of marketing and oil refining of the Ministry of Oil and Natural Gas - said that domestic supply is still stable. India is currently the fourth largest oil refining country in the world, this processing capacity is considered an important "cushion" to help maintain the supply of energy products.
The fact that a LPG tanker can still cross the Strait of Hormuz to reach India is considered a rare sign that essential energy transportation routes in the Gulf region can still operate, at least for countries that Iran considers friendly partners.
