Just a few days in the past, the federal government assured the those that India had 45 days of “rolling inventory” in LPG, implying there have been sufficient shares and there was no want for panic. The implication got here as a puzzle to many since India has moderately restricted LPG storage capability and wishes common shipments from overseas to the extent of a mean of 1 shipload of LPG arriving every single day.

As per authorities knowledge, India has a complete LPG tankage capability of some 1.6 million tonne of which some 53% is in import terminals, some 31% in bottling vegetation, 16% in refineries and associated services. As per authorities knowledge, this is able to account for some 17 days of consumption as per January 1, 2026 consumption figures, assuming all of the tanks are full, no recent LPG got here in and none have been produced in Indian refineries in that interval. India has virtually negligible long-term storage resembling caverns not like, say, Europe within the case of pure fuel.

One may say that a couple of days may be added to the determine of 17 given the cutbacks in bulk LPG and business LPG provides. There’s at all times LPG presently below transportation as cylinders inside India and that could possibly be thought-about too.

Enormous shortfall

But, this nonetheless leaves a big shortfall from the claimed determine of 45 days even when all of the tanks are full, except the federal government has thought-about the LPG on ships, which have been ordered and are on their approach, as stock. It’s business follow to contemplate sure kinds of import shipments as stock although they might not be thought-about dependable buffer shares. The time period “rolling inventory” often applies to items transported by trains.

Extra on the best way

The Hindu has been capable of observe 15 LPG tankers that left numerous ports within the U.S. for India utilizing open-source marine visitors knowledge.

Crystal Explorer, which left Houston, is scheduled to reach in Ennore, Chennai, on Friday (Could 15), whereas the tanker Hannibal is predicted to succeed in Mangalore on Saturday (Could 16), as per marinetraffic.com.

The tanker Ethane Opal has discharged its cargo and has left the Dahej port on Thursday.

The LPG tankers Vega Sky and Jirisan Explorer are scheduled to reach in Vishakhapatnam and Ennore respectively on Could 22, as per marinetraffic.com. Jia Yuan (Dhamra) and BW Aries (Vishakhapatnam) are more likely to attain India this month.

Future Ace, which set sail from the port of Nederland within the U.S., is now within the Bay of Bengal abutting the Odisha coast. Whereas marinetraffic.com didn’t present its ultimate vacation spot, it’s nearing the port of Dhamra.

Marine knowledge present that the tankers Gasoline Planet, Pinza and Shergar, which have just lately left the U.S., are more likely to attain Vishakhapatnam within the third week of June. Ethane Pearl and Clipper Guardian are scheduled to dock at Dahej and Haldia respectively by mid-June or thereafter.

The mixed deadweight of those 15 ships is 8.38 lakh tonne.

Among the many 15 tankers, two vessels — Ethane Crystal (certain for Dahej) and Badrinath (Mangalore) — are going to Port Louis in Mauritius, the place they’re more likely to refuel earlier than heading in the direction of India. In keeping with Enterprise Insider Africa, Port Louis has seen a increase in marine gas gross sales after the surge in marine visitors across the Cape of Good Hope, effected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and threats of disruptions within the Crimson Sea.

On Thursday, LPG tanker Marshall Island-flagged Symi seemed to be crusing within the Gulf of Oman. The vessel has been within the Persian Gulf since early March, having loaded its cargo at Ras Laffan in Qatar. It was among the many 20 ships marked for evacuation by the federal government because it was essential to India’s vitality wants.

Stories mentioned one other LPG tanker, the Vietnam-flagged NV Sunshine has transited the Strait of Hormuz and is now heading in the direction of India. It too had switched off its AIS whereas crusing by the chokepoint. The mixed useless weight of the 2 vessels is 81,572 tonnes.

The vessels described above may carry greater than 1 million tonnes of LPG however the listing is just not complete. There could possibly be extra such vessels and spot purchases the federal government could make from vessels already loaded.

India’s post-war LPG consumption in March was some 2.4 million tonne — a discount of 6 lakh in comparison with regular months. Import shortfall was some 1 million tonne, which was made up by elevated home manufacturing. By this account, 1 million tonne may add to a different 12 days.