Following the outbreak of conflict in West Asia in February, the government raised the prices of both domestic and commercial LPG cylinders. The increase was due to supply shortages caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.
The U.S. blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports has added to uncertainty about shipping through the strait, which has seen a sharp decline in traffic since the start of the Iran conflict. Officials have previously said ships bound for non-Iranian destinations can still pass through the route, although they may encounter an increased military presence and communications controls.
Roughly one fifth of global oil and gas exports normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz. India imports around 60% of its LPG requirements and “of these imports, about 90% through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been affected by current events,” the government said earlier.
Despite supply shortages in recent weeks, the government says LPG supplies in India remain stable and sufficient. She also constantly advised customers to avoid panic bookings and hoarding of LPG cylinders.
Domestic LPG rates rise, commercial cylinders hit harder
Domestic LPG prices have been revised once, while commercial cooking gas rates have been revised twice in the past few months, severely impacting restaurants, eateries and other businesses that rely on the fuel to run.
The price of a 14.2 kg domestic LPG canister has risen remarkably ₹60 in March. however, no rate revisions were made thereafter, so domestic LPG prices remained stable across the country.
Meanwhile, the price of a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder was first increased ₹144 in March, followed by another hike of almost ₹200 on 1st April.
Check LPG prices for the city on April 17
CityDomestic (14.2 Kg)Commercial (19 Kg)New Delhi ₹913.00 ₹2,078.50 Calcutta ₹939.00 ₹2,208.50 Bombay ₹912.50 ₹2,031.00 chennai ₹928.50 ₹2,246.50 Gurgaon ₹921.50 ₹2,096.50 Noida ₹910.50 ₹2,078.50 Bengaluru ₹915.50 ₹2,161.00 Bhubaneshwar ₹939.00 ₹2,245.00 Chandigarh ₹922.50 ₹2,099.50 Hyderabad ₹965.00 ₹2,320.50 of Jaipur ₹916.50 ₹2,106.00 Lucknow ₹950.50 ₹2,201.00 Patna ₹1,002.50 ₹2,353.50
The changes in LPG prices are part of the monthly price update by the state-run oil marketing companies, which include Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum. These companies are tasked with regularly adjusting aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and LPG cylinder rates based on price movements in global energy markets.
International oil prices have shot up as much as 50% since the start of the conflict due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused energy shortages, especially for import-dependent countries such as India.
Hormuz ship traffic remains low amid blockade
Shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz remained well below par as the movement of vessels on the key waterway was hit by an effective double blockade.
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The number of commercial ships recorded plying the route stood at 11 on Tuesday, ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show. On the weekend it was an average of 16 a day. Shipping vessels can turn off their digital transponders to hide their movements in high-risk zones, and the Wall Street Journal quoted two U.S. officials as saying more than 20 had passed through on Tuesday.
While overall traffic has fallen sharply since the start of the war, Iran has continued to deliver to near pre-war levels, helping to maintain global supplies and providing a financial lifeline for the Islamic Republic, the agency said.
