The Indian-flagged tanker Jag Laadki, carrying around 80,886 metric tonnes (MT) of crude oil, arrived at Mundra port in Gujarat on Wednesday, officials said. The ‘Jag Laadki’ is the fourth vessel to arrive in India amid the conflict in West Asia and the second to dock at the Adani Group’s Mundra port.
I Laadki is coming! WATCH
According to news agency PTI, Adani Ports, which operates the Mundra port, said in a statement that the oil carried by Jag Laadki originated from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and was loaded at the port of Fujairah there.
“The tanker measures 274.19 meters in overall length and 50.04 meters in width and boasts a dead weight of approximately 164,716 tonnes and a gross tonnage of about 84,735 tonnes,” it said.
“The arrival of the tanker at Mundra port underlines the facility’s critical role in handling significant crude oil imports,” it said.
“This supply supports major refineries that rely on such shipments to maintain operations and strengthen India’s energy security during supply disruptions in the region,” Adani Ports added.
“The port has ensured safe berthing of the vessel and maritime coordination in protecting India’s vital energy lifelines,” it said.
The port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates has faced drone and missile attacks during the ongoing war between Israel, the US and Iran.
How many ships have arrived in India so far from the conflict-torn Middle East?
There are four Indian-flagged vessels or ships that have safely sailed through a war zone in West Asia or the Middle East.
The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) ship ‘Nanda Devi’, which was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, carried 46,500 metric tonnes of LPG at Vadinar port in Devbhumi Dwarka district of Gujarat on Tuesday.
Another vessel – ‘Shivalik’ – carrying LPG docked at Mundra port on Monday.
Both LPG carriers started their journey on 13 March and crossed the Strait of Hormuz early on 14 March.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on March 14 that two Indian ships – Shivalik and Nanda Devi – crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
“Each of the ships is carrying more than 46,000 metric tons of LPG, with a cumulative quantity of 92,700 metric tons,” Jaiswal said.
Another tanker, Jag Prakash, carrying petrol from Oman to Africa, had earlier safely crossed the strait and is on its way to Tanzania, PTI reported.
According to Marinetraffic.com, ‘JAG PRAKASH’ is an INDIA-flagged oil/chemical tanker. Her length overall (LOA) is 183 meters and her beam is 32.22 meters.
There were initially 28 Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz when the West Asia War broke out following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Of these, 24 were on the western side of the strait and 4 on the eastern side. In the past week, two vessels from each side have managed to sail to safety.
Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
The conflict between the US, Israel and Iran has led to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the main transit route for energy supplies from the Persian Gulf.
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, was effectively closed following the US-Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran’s massive retaliation.
While India partially compensated for the oil supply disruption by taking oil from countries including Russia, gas supplies were curtailed for industrial users and LPG availability for commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants was reduced.
Import of oil from India
India, which is heavily dependent on energy supplies from the region, is the world’s fourth largest consumer of LNG and second largest consumer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
India imports about 88 percent of its crude oil, 50 percent of its natural gas and 60 percent of its LPG needs, ANI reported. Before the February 28 US-Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation, more than half of India’s oil imports, about 30 percent of its gas and 85-90 percent of its LPG imports came from Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
(With input from agencies)
