The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker “Symi” has arrived at Deendayal Port in Kandla, Gujarat, carrying 20,000 LPG cylinders. The vessel crossed the Strait of Hormuz on May 13th and reached India. This is considered crucial for energy supply amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The ship has a total of 21 crew members, including eight Ukrainians and 13 Filipinos. Simi is the 11th LPG tanker to transit the Strait of Hormuz under the current surveillance operation. According to officials, the safe passage of these vessels was possible due to close coordination between the Directorate General of Shipping and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Petroleum.
India’s crude oil reserves fall
Symi: Ongoing tensions in West Asia are putting pressure on global energy supplies. India’s crude oil reserves have fallen by nearly 15% due to the blockage in the Strait of Hormuz for more than 75 days. According to commodity analytics firm Kpler, India’s total crude oil reserves have fallen to 91 million barrels, down from 107 million barrels at the end of February. This includes strategic petroleum reserves, refineries, and commercial storage.
Kachchh, Gujarat: The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Symi carrying approx 20,000 tonnes of #LPG arrives at the Kandla Port.
Symi crossed the Strait of Hormuz on May 13. pic.twitter.com/CGiBjR4cx5
— JK CHANNEL (@jkchanneltv) May 17, 2026Despite the decline in imports, Indian refineries are still operating at normal levels and have not implemented major production cuts. However, analysts believe that if crude oil supply disruptions persist for a prolonged period, refiners will have little choice but to reduce refinery operations or reduce crude oil processing levels.
World crude oil stocks also declined sharply
According to Kpler, India currently consumes about 5 million barrels of crude oil daily. Based on current reserves, this stock could meet the country’s needs for approximately 18 days. This decline in India’s oil reserves comes at a time when crude oil stocks are rapidly depleting worldwide. Global oil inventories fell by 129 million barrels in March, while they fell by an additional 117 million barrels in April, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Edited by: Bhoomi Goyal
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