New Delhi:
A Russian tanker, originally bound for China and loaded with 7.7 lakh barrels of crude oil, has U-turned in the South China Sea and is now hurrying to India, a senior government official said Thursday.
The Aqua Titan, a Cameroon-registered tanker left the Russian port on January 18, is scheduled to arrive at India’s New Mangalore port on March 21, Rajesh Sinha, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, told reporters.
The US-Israeli war on Iran and Tehran’s attacks on Gulf neighbours have disrupted oil and natural gas exports from the Middle East and forced production stoppages.
In the nearly three weeks since the beginning of war on February 28, four Indian-flagged vessels carrying stocks of oil and gas have already arrived in India.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways stated that, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, 22 Indian-flagged cargo vessels remain stranded in the western sector of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf chokepoint through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil flows.
Two Indian-flagged cargo vessels, one of which is an oil tanker, are currently located in the eastern sector of the Strait of Hormuz.
“Currently, 22 Indian-flagged vessels and 611 seafarers are stranded in the western part of the Persian Gulf, while two loaded Indian-flagged cargo vessels are positioned in the eastern sector of the Strait of Hormuz. The Directorate General of Shipping, in coordination with shipowners, RPSL agencies, and Indian embassies, is continuously monitoring the situation,” Rajesh Sinha said on Monday.
According to Rajesh Sinha, all Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no vessel-related incidents involving Indian seafarers have been reported in the last 24 hours.
Approximately, 700 vessels from various countries across the globe have been stranded in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz for the past 20 days.
As a result of this situation, approximately 20% of the crude oil supplied from the Middle East to the international market is failing to reach its destination.
This crisis is having its most significant impact on countries like India, which imports nearly 85% of its crude oil requirements from 40 different nations.
Brent crude topped $115 per barrel as Tehran threatened to target regional installations in retaliation for an Israeli strike on a site serving its massive South Pars field, which it shares with Qatar.
Iranian missiles struck Qatar’s Ras Laffan, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub, causing “extensive damage”. Drones struck a Saudi oil refinery on the Red Sea and caused fires at two others in Kuwait in the latest attacks.
According to the Ministry of Shipping, the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) has so far facilitated the safe return of over 472 Indian seafarers to India, including 25 seafarers repatriated from various airports and regional locations within the last 24 hours.
India’s maritime sector continues to operate smoothly, and no instances of congestion have been reported at any of the ports.
The ports are maintaining strict vigilance over vessel movements and cargo-handling operations, and they possess ample surplus capacity, including additional storage space, the official said.
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