Amid the escalating conflict between Iran and the US-Israeli coalition, the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said on Tuesday that liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies across the country continue to be monitored in view of the prevailing geopolitical situation.
The Ministry of Petroleum announced this online LPG cylinder bookings increased from around 84% to around 90% and DAC coverage expanded from 53% before the Middle East crisis to around 72% to prevent bottle diversion at the distributor level.
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The ministry further said that no drying up has been reported LPG distributorship and “Several states and UTs including Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Manipur and Maharashtra have issued non-domestic LPG allotment orders as per Government of India guidelines.”
According to the official statement, the domestic production of LPG in refineries increased by about 36%.
Asia is the most exposed because it relies heavily on imported fuel, much of which is transported through the now-blocked Strait of Hormuz. The narrow coastal passage from Iran is the main route for transporting a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade.
As supplies dwindle, the central government last week imposed tighter regulations on natural gas and cooking gas, while stepping up diplomatic talks with Iran to ensure safe transit for Indian vessels.
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The future of more than 20 Indian ships and hundreds of people stranded in the Persian Gulf remains uncertain as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by hostilities in the Middle East.
In response to the US-Israeli strikes, Tehran has almost halted all maritime traffic through the vital passage, which normally handles around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) volumes.
India is currently the world’s fourth largest importer of LNG and second largest consumer of LPG.
Indian vessel arrives at Vadinar for ship-to-ship transfer of LPG
Indian-flagged tanker Nanda Devi arrived at Vadinar in Jamnagar early on Tuesday morning to commence ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of LPG.
The ship, carrying a cargo of 46,500 metric tons, arrived at 2:30 a.m. and is currently in the anchorage zone.
Sushil Kumar Singh, Chairman, Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla, verified the arrival of the vessel and the upcoming naval maneuvers.
Singh told ANI, “It arrived this morning. So the Nanda Devi vessel arrived at 2.30 am and came with a package of 46,500 metric tonnes of LPG. Now it has arrived here for ship-to-ship transfer.”
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The procedure is set to take place between the anchorage and the open sea and includes a secondary vessel. The Chairman noted that a daughter ship, BW Birch, had also arrived on site to assist with unloading. The logistics of the operation, such as the deployment of fenders and essential hardware, began immediately after the vessels arrived.
“The daughter ship is the BW Birch. So that vessel has also arrived. The ship-to-ship transfer equipment is being prepared by 1pm. So it will be positioned alongside and the operation will begin around three,” Singh said.
