New Delhi, April 04: The Central Government has dismissed as factually incorrect and misleading reports that a cargo of Iranian crude oil was diverted from Vadinar in Gujarat to China due to payment issues.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Saturday dismissed recent reports on X post that a consignment of Iranian crude oil was diverted to China instead of India due to payment issues. The Ministry termed these claims as “factually incorrect” and assured that the country’s energy supply is completely secure.
“Reports and social media posts about a cargo of Iranian crude oil being diverted from Vadinar in India to China due to ‘payment issues’ are factually incorrect,” the Ministry said. The ministry stated that despite disruptions in West Asia due to the ongoing war in Iran, Indian refiners have already met their crude oil needs, including supplies from Iran.
Ship rerouting is a common practice in the crude oil trade. Seaborne cargoes often change their destination mid-voyage based on trade optimization and operational flexibility.
The ministry stated that despite disruptions in West Asia due to the ongoing war in Iran, Indian refiners have already met their crude oil needs, including supplies from Iran. The ministry stated that there are no payment disruptions in the import of Iranian crude oil, as rumors are circulating.
The ministry emphasized that India sources crude oil from over 40 countries and that companies have complete freedom to adjust sourcing based on commercial needs.
The Petroleum Ministry’s clarification comes after reports earlier this week that the US-sanctioned tanker ‘Ping Shun’, carrying Iranian crude oil, had initially specified India’s Vadinar port as its destination but later changed course to China. The Petroleum
Ministry also addressed concerns over the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and dismissed some claims as false. The ministry said the LPG vessel ‘Sea Bird’, carrying around 44,000 tonnes of Iranian LPG, arrived in Mangalore on April 2 and is currently unloading its cargo.
It is noteworthy that Kpler, an agency monitoring the crude oil market, had claimed that a ship carrying approximately 600,000 barrels of crude oil from Iran to India suddenly changed its course and headed towards China. The ship, named ‘Ping Shun’, was on its way to India in the Arabian Sea until Thursday night and was expected to reach the Vadinar port in Gujarat. But just before reaching its destination, it changed its course. The agency had said that the ship had now changed its declared destination from India to China, which raised questions about this sudden change.