New Delhi, March 14: In a positive development for India, the LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) carrier Shivalik successfully crossed the Hormuz Strait late Friday night. This comes on the 15th day of the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. According to the tracking site MarineTraffic, the vessel departed from Qatar on March 7, heading to the United States.
The Shivalik, owned by the Shipping Corporation of India, has a capacity to carry over 50,000 tons of LPG. Its safe passage is considered crucial for India, especially given the current geopolitical climate.
Currently, there is no shortage of LPG in India. However, due to global tensions, many people are anxiously booking LPG cylinders. On Friday, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, noted that misinformation has led to panic buying and hoarding. The average delivery cycle for domestic LPG is approximately two and a half days. To prevent diversion, a Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) system has been implemented.
Under this system, customers must provide a code to the delivery personnel to receive their cylinders. As a temporary measure, the minimum interval between LPG bookings has been increased from 21 days to 25 days.
Regarding the Hormuz Strait, former President Trump claimed that the U.S. military has destroyed Iranian military installations located on Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. He also warned that, if necessary, the oil infrastructure in the region could be targeted. Approximately 80 to 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through this island.
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