Two LPG carriers bound for India have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz, according to a March 29 press release by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, marking the latest in a series of vessel movements through the key shipping chokepoint.

The two very large gas carriers, or VLGCs, BW TYR and BW ELM, are carrying a combined 94,000 metric tons of LPG. BW TYR is headed to Mumbai and is expected to arrive on Tuesday, while BW ELM is bound for New Mangalore with arrival expected on Wednesday.

The latest transit follows two earlier Indian vessels, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, both controlled by Indian Oil Corp., which passed through the Strait of Hormuz on March 14, OPIS reported earlier.

A total of 18 Indian vessels and 485 Indian seafarers remain in the western Gulf region. The ministry said all seafarers are safe, with no incidents reported in the past 24 hours.

Separately, the Iran-loaded VLGC Sea Bird is slated to discharge a 44,300 mt LPG cargo at Ennore on April 7--the first such India delivery since 2019, OPIS reported earlier.

Despite these movements, India-based sources said the current pace of LPG vessel movements from the Middle East remains slow and insufficient to meet demand, prompting importers to seek alternative supply.

"Besides ramping up domestic production, Indian importers are also buying U.S. spot cargoes, with around five VLGCs each for April and May," a source said.

Data from Vortexa showed U.S. LPG imports into India at around 211,087 mt for April and 194,090 mt for May.

Sources added that India is also increasing loadings from Yanbu port as an alternative to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. Vortexa data showed imports from Yanbu at 47,600 mt in March, rising to 143,700 mt in April.

This content was created by Oil Price Information Service, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. OPIS is run independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

--Reporting by Cheryl Lee, clee@opisnet.com; Editing by Lujia Wang, lwang@opisnet.comby

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 30, 2026 01:21 ET (05:21 GMT)

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