Pic: 1st India-Bound Vessel To Cross Hormuz Amid Crisis Docked At Mumbai Port

A Liberian-flagged ship became the first one carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia to be docked at the Mumbai port on Wednesday since the Middle East conflict escalated over two weeks, delivering a body blow to supply chains, commodity prices and global transport.

The Shenlong Suezmax crossed the key maritime crossing Strait of Hormuz, currently facing severe bottlenecks as Iran vows revenge against US and Israel, to bring over 135,000 metric tons of crude oil to India. Around 20 per cent of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, where an India-bound Thai bulk carrier Mayuri Naree was hit by projectiles on Wednesday. Iran has said it will not allow a litre of oil to pass throught the chokepoint.

The crude oil that arrived at the Mumbai port will be sent to a refinery in Mahul. The ship's arrival is considered a major relief as a curb on domestic LPG cylinder supply has sparked worries among people across the country.

Departing from Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura port on March 1, the ship was cleared for transit through the strategic waterway by Iran. Per maritime tracking data from Lloyd's List Intelligence and TankerTrackers, the vessel's last recorded location before reaching Indian waters showed inside the Strait of Hormuz on March 8.

On Thursday, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi held talks, following which India-flagged tankers have been allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

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India's Shipping Ministry on Wednesday said that at present, 28 Indian-flagged vessels are operating in the Persian Gulf region. Of these, 24 vessels are located west of the Strait of Hormuz carrying 677 Indian seafarers, while four vessels are east of the Strait with 101 Indian seafarers onboard.

A situation report released by the Directorate General of Shipping said that over the past few days, seven of these vessels -- 'Desh Mahima', 'Desh Abhiman', 'Swarna Kamal', 'Vishva Prerna', 'Jag Viraat', 'Jag Lokesh' and 'LNGC Aseem' -- have moved out and reached the Arabian Sea. Another vessel, 'Jag Lakshya', has sailed onward towards Angola.

Oil prices have shown constant rise amid the ongoing war, with crude oil prices rising Rs 371 to Rs 8,406 per barrel in futures trade on Thursday as participants widened their positions following a firm spot demand.