Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that news reports and social media posts claiming that an Iranian crude cargo was diverted from Vadinar, India, to China due to payment issues are factually incorrect. In a social media post, Mr. Puri stated that amid disruptions in West Asian supply, Indian refiners have secured their crude oil requirements, including from Iran, and there are no payment hurdles for Iranian crude imports, as some rumors suggest.
The Minister noted that Bills of Lading often indicate tentative destinations, and cargoes can change course mid-voyage due to operational and commercial factors. Mr. Puri informed that India imports crude oil from more than 40 countries, with companies having full flexibility to source oil from different sources and geographies based on commercial considerations. The Minister also noted that some claims regarding LPG are also incorrect. He stated that the LPG vessel, Sea Bird, carrying around 44,000 metric tonnes of Iranian LPG, docked at Mangalore, India, on the 2nd of this month and is currently discharging.