The first oil tanker to reach India via the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the West Asia conflict has safely docked in Mumbai, delivering a crucial shipment of crude oil after a tense voyage through one of the world’s most volatile maritime corridors.
The Liberia-flagged vessel Shenlong arrived on Wednesday after departing the Ras Tanura Oil Terminal in Saudi Arabia on March 3. Its journey came at a time of rising regional hostilities that have made the strait, a vital artery for global energy supplies, increasingly dangerous for commercial shipping.
Crew Relied on Seamanship After GPS Disruptions
According to crew members and shipping officials, the tanker encountered repeated disruptions to its navigation systems during the passage. Signals from the vessel’s transponders and its automatic identification system (AIS) were intermittently lost during the journey, while the ship also experienced GPS spoofing and jamming, reported Hindustan Times.
The tanker’s captain, Sukshant Singh Sandhu, said the crew frequently lost GPS signals while crossing the strait. Despite the uncertainty and risks, the vessel managed to avoid hostile incidents.
“There were many moments when the GPS signals disappeared,” Sandhu said earlier this week. “We were fortunate not to face any attacks, though there were many uncertainties along the way.”
Second officer Abhijit Alok described the voyage as particularly challenging without modern navigation systems.
“It was difficult navigating without GPS,” Alok said. “But Captain Sandhu is an experienced officer and knows how to steer the vessel when signals fail. We relied on traditional seamanship, the way ships sailed before electronic navigation existed.”
The officer added that the crew spotted fighter jets flying overhead while near Saudi waters, but did not witness any direct military engagement.
Strategic Oil Route Under Strain
The tense voyage comes amid escalating hostilities involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Following attacks by the US and Israel on February 28, Iran has targeted several merchant vessels in the region, sparing only those owned by or heading to China.
The situation has raised serious concerns about energy security. Nearly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow channel linking the Persian Gulf to global markets.
Crude Delivered, Next Voyage Planned
The Shenlong carried 135,335 metric tonnes of crude oil, which was unloaded at Jawahar Dweep (Butcher Island) off the coast of Mumbai. The cargo will now be transported to refineries in the Mahul area in eastern Mumbai.
The tanker has a multinational crew of 29 sailors from India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
After completing its delivery, the ship is expected to sail on Friday night for the port of Fujairah, located on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, outside the Strait of Hormuz.
However, even that region has not remained untouched by the widening conflict. On March 9, debris from a drone interception by UAE defence forces sparked a fire in Fujairah, and the emirate’s oil storage terminal was struck last week by falling debris linked to the same incident.
