LNG Carrier Disha Crosses Strait of Hormuz: First Indian Tanker Since US-Iran Ceasefire
LNG Carrier Disha, operated by a Shipping Corporation of India (SCI)-led consortium and chartered by Petronet LNG Ltd, has safely transited the Strait of Hormuz — the first Indian LNG tanker to do so in over three and a half months since the waterway was disrupted by US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent regional military conflict.
The vessel is carrying 62,370 metric tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is expected to arrive at Petronet's Dahej terminal in Gujarat on June 18, 2026.
The Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed to commercial LNG traffic after the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026; retaliatory actions and the resulting threat environment disrupted shipping for over three months. Qatar, India's largest LNG supplier, declared force majeure on LNG shipments to multiple buyers including India.
Disha's successful transit follows a ceasefire between the United States and Iran and is among the first commercial transits after the announcement, signalling the resumption of the Hormuz energy corridor.
The disruption had significant consequences for India's gas supply, as Qatar supplies roughly 65% of India's imported LNG, virtually all of which transits through the Strait of Hormuz.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): Process and Supply Chain
Liquefied Natural Gas is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH₄) that has been chilled to −162°C, at which point it becomes a liquid occupying roughly 1/600th of its gaseous volume — enabling sea transport in specialised insulated tankers.
Disha's cargo of Qatari LNG, routed via the Strait, demonstrates India's near-complete dependence on the Hormuz corridor for its primary LNG supply — a structural vulnerability the conflict exposed.
Strait of Hormuz: Geography and Strategic Significance
The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most critical energy chokepoint — a narrow maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Iran's position as a flanking state gives it leverage over global energy markets — a factor that became acutely apparent during the three-month closure; Disha's successful crossing signals the reopening of this critical corridor.
Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) and India's Shipping Sector
Key Details
- Shipping Corporation of India (SCI): India's largest shipping company; a Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; operates a fleet spanning tankers, bulk carriers, LNG carriers, offshore vessels, and passenger vessels
- Role in energy security: SCI operates LNG carriers (including Disha) in consortium arrangements with major energy companies, providing India strategic control over a portion of its LNG logistics
- India's flag fleet challenge: India carries only ~2% of its seaborne trade under the Indian flag; the government's Maritime India Vision 2030 aims to increase this; the Disha transit underscores the value of nationally flagged energy vessels
- Seafarers: ~18,000 Indian seafarers work in the Gulf region; during the conflict-related disruption, over 3,500 were safely repatriated
The SCI-operated Disha being the first Indian LNG carrier to navigate post-ceasefire Hormuz illustrates how national shipping capacity translates to energy security in crisis conditions.
India's Energy Security Architecture
The three-month Hormuz disruption was the most severe test of India's LNG supply resilience in recent history; Disha's safe crossing provides temporary relief but does not eliminate the structural dependence that the episode revealed.
- Vessel: LNG Carrier Disha; operator: SCI-led consortium; charterer: Petronet LNG Ltd
- Cargo: 62,370 metric tonnes of LNG
- Destination: Dahej terminal, Gujarat; expected arrival: June 18, 2026
- Source of LNG: Qatar (~65% of India's LNG imports)
- Disruption period: ~3.5 months (from February 28, 2026 strikes on Iran to US-Iran ceasefire)
- Strait of Hormuz width: ~33 km at narrowest; navigable lane: 2×3 km channels
- Strait of Hormuz daily oil transit: ~15 mb/d crude; ~34% of global crude oil trade
- Strait of Hormuz LNG transit: ~112 bcm in 2025; ~20% of global LNG trade
- Qatar's Hormuz dependence: ~93% of Qatar's LNG exports transit Hormuz
- India's Dahej terminal capacity: 17.5 MMTPA (expanding to 22.5 MMTPA)
- India's crude oil import dependence: ~85%
- India's gas target: Raise natural gas share from ~6% to 15% of energy mix by 2030
- India's SPR locations: Padur, Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru (~5.33 MT total)
- UNCLOS provision: Transit passage rights through international straits (cannot be suspended)
- LNG liquefaction temperature: −162°C
- India's Indian seafarers in Gulf: ~18,000; ~3,500 repatriated during conflict