Indian-flagged LPG carrier crosses the Strait of Hormuz: tracking data, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• The Indian-flagged LPG carrier Shivalik crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Friday night, after departing from Ras Laffan, Qatar on March 7.
• The Shivalik, owned by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), has a cargo capacity of over 54,000 tonnes of LPG.
• Jag Prakash, an oil tanker owned by Great Eastern Shipping Company, also started moving after being stranded east of the Strait of Hormuz.
• As of Friday, three more Indian-flagged cargo ships with 76 seafarers are in the Gulf of Oman, and 23 ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf.

Detailed Insights:

• The Strait of Hormuz is a volatile region, and shippers are unwilling to bear the risks of crossing it due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
• The Shivalik and Sahyadri were inducted into the SCI’s fleet in August-September 2025.
• The Directorate General of Shipping is in constant contact with the 23,000 Indian nationals working in the Persian Gulf region.
• The Shenlong, a crude oil carrier, crossed the strait on March 8 by going into “digital darkness” and using manual navigation due to GPS spoofing and jamming.
• Since March 1, there have been 77 transits across the Strait of Hormuz, half of which were by the ‘shadow fleet’, and 17 were ‘dark transits’.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Strait of Hormuz: A narrow waterway between Oman and Iran connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, a vital route for oil tankers.
• LPG Carrier: A ship designed to transport Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in bulk.
• GPS Spoofing: Transmitting false GPS signals to deceive a GPS receiver about its location.