A Russian oil-laden tanker originally bound for China has reversed course in the South China Sea and is now heading to India. The move comes amid a global energy crisis caused amid the US-Iran war.
Ship-tracking data show that the Aframax tanker Aqua Titan is expected to arrive at the port of New Mangalore on March 21 carrying a cargo of Russia’s Urals crude. The vessel had loaded the oil from a Baltic Sea port in late January and initially signaled the Chinese port of Rizhao as its destination.
However, the tanker made an abrupt turnaround in Southeast Asian waters in mid-March and began heading toward India. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a press-briefing, did not confirm the development.
The course change came around the time when the United States allowed India to increase its purchases of Russian crude oil, to combat the energy crisis caused by Iran shutting the Strait of Hormuz amid its conflict with Israel and US. Over 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passes through Strait of Hormuz.
Following the concession, Indian refiners moved quickly to secure additional supplies, snapping up around 30 million barrels of Russian oil within a week, according to market data. The surge in buying reflects India’s effort to offset reduced inflows from traditional Middle Eastern suppliers.
Energy intelligence firm Vortexa Ltd. estimates that at least seven tankers carrying Russian crude have switched their destinations mid-voyage from China to India in recent weeks. All of India’s major refiners are now actively seeking Russian crude cargoes.
In a separate development, another tanker carrying crude from the region has also altered its route toward India. The Suezmax vessel Zouzou N., which is transporting Kazakh CPC Blend crude, is now signaling Sikka on India’s west coast as its next destination with an estimated arrival date of March 25, according to ship-tracking data.
The tanker had earlier sailed from Novorossiysk on Russia’s Black Sea and was initially headed toward waters near Rizhao in China before turning around in early March and redirecting its cargo to India.
Indian ships allowed to cross Strait of Hormuz
Despite the tense situation, some Indian vessels have managed to navigate the route successfully. On Tuesday, the Indian-flagged LPG carrier Nanda Devi arrived at Vadinar port in Gujarat’s Jamnagar district, carrying 46,500 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for ship-to-ship transfer at anchorage.
The vessel had crossed the Strait of Hormuz earlier along with another Indian-flagged LPG carrier, Shivalik. According to the government, both ships passed through the sensitive waterway safely over the weekend. While Shivalik reached India on Monday, Nanda Devi anchored at Vadinar on Tuesday.
The safe arrival of the two vessels comes as India closely monitors the security situation in the Persian Gulf, a region vital for the country’s energy imports.
