Evacuation of India-bound Vessels in the Persian Gulf

Background

The Indian government has identified 22 India-bound vessels in the Persian Gulf region for evacuation and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Critical Vessels for India's Energy Security

• 20 vessels are considered critical to India’s energy security.
• These vessels carry: 
  • 2.15 lakh metric tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG)
  • 3.21 lakh tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
  • 16.76 lakh tonnes of crude oil
• 10 of these vessels are Indian-flagged, while others are flagged by countries like the Marshall Islands, Liberia, Greece, Malta, and Portugal.
• The 20 vessels include: 
  • Three LNG carriers
  • Ten LPG carriers
  • Seven crude oil tankers
• Two additional Indian-flagged container vessels are also identified for evacuation.

Coordination and Evacuation Efforts

• Coordination involves multiple agencies: 
  • Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
  • Directorate of Naval Operations (DNO)
  • Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG)
  • Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFCIOR)
• Two LPG carriers and one oil tanker — Shivalik, Nanda Devi, and Jag Laadki — have been evacuated by the Indian Navy from the Gulf of Oman.
• Shivalik is partially discharged at Mundra and awaiting further operations.
• Nanda Devi is preparing for a ship-to-ship transfer at Vadinar.
• Jag Laadki, carrying 81,000 metric tonnes of Murban crude, reached Mundra Port safely.

Current Situation of Seafarers

• Approximately 23,000 Indian seafarers are stranded in the Persian Gulf, with 658 on Indian-flagged vessels.
• 472 seafarers have been evacuated by various shipping companies.

Location of Indian Vessels

• 22 vessels are in the Persian Gulf region.
• Additional vessels are located: 
  • Two in the Gulf of Oman
  • One in the Gulf of Aden
  • Two in the Red Sea
• Six vessels are owned by the Government-owned Shipping Corporation of India, with five in the Persian Gulf and one in the Gulf of Aden.

Impact of the Conflict in West Asia

• No Indian ship has been attacked, but three Indian seafarers have died, four have been injured, and one is missing on foreign-flagged vessels.
• Seven West Asia-bound vessels are waiting at major Indian ports and five at other ports.