Amid the global supply chain crisis, a large cargo ship transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the US has reached the Mangalore Port in India. The Pyxis Pioneer cargo ship, carrying LPG from the US state of Texas, successfully docked at the port. Prior to this, another vessel carrying Russian crude oil had also arrived at Mangalore.
The Russian crude oil-carrying vessel was stationed approximately 18 nautical miles away from the port. It will utilize the single-point mooring system to transfer the oil to the pipeline system for transportation to MRPL. This arrival of Russian crude oil followed the US issuing a temporary general license allowing the sale of Russian crude oil stranded at sea since March 12.
The decision to permit the sale of Russian crude oil aims to stabilize global fuel prices amidst tensions in the Middle East. India has notably increased its purchases of Russian oil, a move that occurred shortly after the US granted India temporary permission to boost its Russian oil imports. This surge in buying is a strategic response to supply concerns arising from disruptions in Middle Eastern oil supplies due to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Recently, the Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker ‘Nanda Devi’ arrived at Vadinar Port in Gujarat, becoming the second LPG carrier to reach the west coast this week after ‘Shivalik’ docked at Mundra Port. Both vessels played a crucial role in delivering essential LPG supplies to India, navigating through the hazardous Strait of Hormuz, where maritime traffic has been impacted by the conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel.
A total of 22 Indian-flagged vessels with 611 Indian seafarers are currently in the western Persian Gulf region, with the Directorate General of Shipping closely monitoring the situation in collaboration with ship owners, RPSL agencies, and Indian Missions.
