NEW DELHI: An India-flagged tanker, Shivalik, carrying 46,000 tonnes of LPG from Qatar’s Ras Laffan Port, arrived at Gujarat’s Mundra Port on Monday after a nine-day journey that included passage through the conflict-affected Strait of Hormuz.
Another LPG carrier, Nanda Devi, also carrying around 46,000 tonnes, is expected to reach Kandla Port early Tuesday. Both vessels are owned by the state-run Shipping Corporation of India.
A third India-flagged tanker, Jag Laadki, transporting approximately 81,000 tonnes of Murban crude from the UAE’s Fujairah port, is scheduled to arrive at Mundra on Tuesday afternoon. The vessel had departed shortly after an attack on the oil terminal.
Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the shipping ministry, said all Indian seafarers operating in the Persian Gulf region are safe.
Sources said 20,000 tonnes of LPG from Shivalik will be discharged at Mundra, while the remaining 26,000 tonnes will be offloaded at New Mangalore Port. The LPG carried by Nanda Devi will be transferred mid-sea at Vadinar, near Jamnagar, onto smaller vessels for onward distribution.
Officials added that Mundra Port’s specialised storage facilities enable gas to be transported via pipeline to Mithi Rohar in Gandhidham, where it is fed into GAIL’s network and supplied to the National Gas Grid.
Sinha said major government-owned ports are closely tracking vessel movements and facilitating cargo operations, offering concessions on anchorage, berth hire, and storage, along with temporary transshipment options at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority.
Meanwhile, in response to directions to boost LPG production, HPCL Mittal Energy in Bathinda and the Reliance refinery in Jamnagar have placed additional demand for rail rakes.
