New Delhi [India], March 16 : The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Monday assured that there is no shortage of crude oil in the country and that fuel supply remains stable across India.
Speaking on the issue, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said that crude oil is available in sufficient quantity and all refineries are operating at their highest capacity.
"Crude is available in sufficient quantity. All refineries are operating at the highest capacity. Our petrol pumps are operating normally. No dry out has been reported anywhere," Sharma said.
Her remarks come amid concerns in certain areas regarding fuel availability. The ministry clarified that the petroleum supply chain is functioning smoothly and there is no disruption in the distribution of petrol and diesel. Officials said that oil marketing companies are closely monitoring the supply situation to ensure the uninterrupted availability of fuel at retail outlets.
The Shipping Ministry also confirmed that LPG carrying Indian flagged vessel Shivalik would be docking in Munhdra Port shortly.
Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Shipping Ministry, GoI said, "Shivalik LPG carrier, which sailed from the Persian Gulf, crossed the Strait of Hormuz and headed towards India, will be reaching today around 5 pm, maybe after an hour or so. And before its arrival, documentation, priority berthing, and everything have been arranged at the port so that there is no delay in the discharge of cargo by this vessel. All Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf area are safe. No incident has been reported in the last 24 hours, and we are keeping a continuous watch on the situation. We are in touch with each vessel and its crew. 22 vessels, as was reported on Saturday, also. 22 Indian flag vessels with 611 Indian seafarers remain in the west of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf..."
"Indian-flag vessel 'Jag Laadki', which sailed from the UAE on 14th of March, is carrying about 81,000 tonnes of Murban crude oil, is safely en route to India. The vessel and all Indian seafarers on board are safe. They'll be reaching tomorrow at Mundra Port," he added.
Meanhwile, EAM Jaishankar earlier said that Delhi is currently engaging with Iran to facilitate the reopening of the vital waterway, which handles nearly 20 per cent of global oil trade.
In an interview with the Financial Times, he noted that these discussions are "already yielding some results," suggesting that India finds it more effective to "reason and coordinate" with Tehran rather than disengage.
"Certainly, from India's perspective, it is better that we reason and we coordinate and we get a solution than we don't. While this is a welcome development, there is continuing conversation because there is continued work on that," Jaishankar remarked.
The Minister highlighted the recent passage of two Indian-flagged vessels, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, as a practical success of this diplomatic strategy. The tankers, carrying approximately 92,712 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), are currently en route to the Indian ports of Mundra and Kandla.
However, Jaishankar clarified that a formal "blanket arrangement" for all Indian-flagged ships has not yet been established. He explained that the transit of vessels is currently being managed on a "case-by-case basis."
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