Bloomberg News and Indian media outlet The Indian Express reported on the 3rd (local time) that MarineTraffic vessel-tracking data showed the Marshall Islands-flagged very large gas carrier Sarv Shakti exited the Strait of Hormuz the previous day and entered the Gulf of Oman.
The ship was carrying about 45,000 tons of LPG. Its automatic identification system (AIS) listed it as India-bound with Indian crew members aboard, and the cargo owner was reported to be state-run Indian Oil Corp. (IOC).
It was the first India-related energy carrier to pass through the strait since the United States moved to impose a maritime blockade on April 13 after talks with Iran collapsed.
The Sarv Shakti was reported to have departed the UAE’s Gantoot port on March 3 and transited the strait along the Iran-side route. It was not confirmed whether the vessel paid Iran a “toll” during the passage.
On May 1, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control warned the global shipping industry that paying Iran for safe passage or asking it to refrain from attacks could expose parties to sanctions.
The LPG shipment is equivalent to about half a day of India’s consumption under prewar benchmarks. The Indian Express said expectations are growing that the transit could slightly ease energy supply strains in India.
India typically depends on the Strait of Hormuz for about 40% of its crude oil imports, more than 50% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG), and about 90% of its LPG. The war and blockade have severely disrupted supplies.
In response, India has moved to address shortages, including raising domestic LPG output to about 54,000 tons a day.
Separately, after the war began and before the U.S. blockade took effect, eight Indian-flagged LPG carriers and one oil tanker transited the strait, a process reported to have been arranged through talks between India and Iran.
Fourteen Indian vessels remain stuck in the Persian Gulf, and foreign ships bound for India are also facing operational disruptions.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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