EXCLUSIVE-Iran lets two gas tankers sail to India through Hormuz, sources say

By Nidhi Verma and Jonathan Saul

NEW DELHI, March 13 (Reuters) - Iran has allowed two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas carriers to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, four sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, a rare exception to the Iranian blockade that has disrupted global energy supplies.

The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Shivalik crossed the Strait under escort from the Indian Navy, said two of the sources, and the second vessel, Nanda Devi, was expected to clear in the next few hours.

Since the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iran, Tehran has largely halted traffic through the strait, which runs past its coast and normally supplies around 20% of global oil and seaborne liquefied natural gas.

Iran has said it will not permit any supplies for the United States or its allies to leave the strait, but India has sought exemptions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday he had spoken to Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed the transit of goods and energy from the Gulf.

India has also given safe harbour to 183 Iranian sailors from a vessel that docked after the war broke out. The vessel was one of three that had participated in exercises in India; one of the others was sunk by a U.S. torpedo off Sri Lanka.

India is reeling under its worst gas crisis in decades with the government cutting supplies for industries to shield households from any shortage of cooking gas.

Shivalik and Nanda Devi are owned by state-run Shipping Corp of India.SCI.NS

Shivalik, which had arrived in Qatari waters on February 25, last reported its position on March 12 as within the exclusive economic zone waters up to 24 miles off the United Arab Emirates, according to tracking data on MarineTraffic.

Nanda Devi was last seen on Friday in Iranian waters close to the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, according to MarineTraffic data. It had called at Qatar’s Ras Laffan anchorage on February 27 before sailing to UAE waters, the data showed.

Separately, a crude tanker is expected to arrive in India on Saturday carrying Saudi Arabian oil after sailing through the Strait around March 1, according to two of the sources and data from Lloyd's List Intelligence.

The Liberia flagged Smyrni crude oil suezmax tanker, which can carry a maximum capacity of 1 million barrels, is expected to arrive at an Indian port for state refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp HPCL.NS.

India's foreign ministry, navy, Shipping Corp and HPCL did not respond to Reuters emails sent out after business hours.

India consumed 33.15 million metric tons of cooking gas last year, with imports accounting for about 60% of demand. About 90% of those imports came from the Middle East.

On Thursday India said 24 Indian-flagged vessels were stuck in the Gulf area past the narrow strait.