New Delhi: MT Sarv Shakti, carrying 46,313 MT of LPG, safely sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and is expected to arrive at Visakhapatnam on May 13 with the Indian cooking gas cargo, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged ship has 20 crew members onboard, of whom as many as 18 are Indians, a ministry statement said.
The ship, carrying over 45,000 tonnes of LPG, was earlier tracked moving into the Gulf of Oman after passing near Iran’s Larak and Qeshm islands on Saturday, according to ship-tracking data. Sarv Shakti, a very large gas carrier, has previously operated on routes between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports.
It was broadcasting its Indian destination and crew details, a safety protocol widely adopted by vessels navigating the region since the outbreak of conflict involving Iran.
The vessel’s journey is significant as it represents the first known passage by an India-linked tanker since a US-led blockade targeting ships associated with Iran began weeks ago.
The restrictions had effectively reduced tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to near-zero levels, disrupting one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
Sarv Shakti is also among the largest carriers to navigate the route since a brief and chaotic reopening of the strait last month, which was quickly followed by renewed restrictions.
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