An India-bound crude oil tanker slipped through the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz after briefly going “dark” to avoid detection, becoming the first India-bound ship to safely navigate the strategic waterway since fighting broke out between the US, Israel and Iran late last month.
The Liberian-flagged Shenlong Suezmax oil tanker, carrying Saudi crude captained by an Indian, docked at the Mumbai port on Wednesday evening after crossing the turbulent waterway where maritime traffic has been largely halted due to attacks and military activities.
Follow live updates about the US-Iran war here
The tanker loaded crude at Ras Tanura Port in Saudi Arabia on March 1 and sailed two days later. Marine tracking data showed its last sign inside the Strait of Hormuz on March 8 before it disappeared from monitoring systems, suggesting the crew turned off the ship’s automatic identification system (AIS) while sailing in the dangerous stretch.
The ship reappeared in tracking databases the next day after the strait was cleared and arrived in Mumbai at around 1pm on Wednesday, according to port officials.
Praveen Singh, Deputy Controller, Mumbai Port Authority, said: “The ship, Shenlong, is carrying 1,35,335 metric tons of crude oil. It is anchored at the Jawahar Dwib terminal and has started unloading the cargo.” The crude will be supplied to refineries in Mahul, east Mumbai.
The ship, owned by Shenlong Shipping Ltd and operated by Athens-based Dynacom Tanker Management Ltd, has a crew of 29, including Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos, and is captained by Captain Sukshant Singh Sandhu. Officials said it is expected to take about 36 hours to unload the cargo.
How do ships become “dark”?
“Darkness” in maritime terminology refers to a ship turning off its Automatic Identification System (AIS), which typically broadcasts the ship’s identity, position, course and speed to other ships and monitoring authorities.
Ships typically do this only in exceptional cases because international maritime rules require the Automatic Identification System (AIS) to remain active for safety and tracking.
However, in conflict zones such as the Strait of Hormuz during war, ships are allowed to temporarily turn off their transponders to avoid being tracked or targeted.
This tactic allows ships to reduce the risk of being targeted amid widespread signal jamming, spoofing and missile attacks that have been reported in the region.
Attacks and stranded ships
The Thai bulk carrier, Mayuri Nare, was hit by projectiles while transiting the strait shortly after leaving the United Arab Emirates. The ship heading to Kandla port in India caught fire and three crew members are still missing while 20 others were rescued by the Royal Thai Navy and Omani authorities.
Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz – the narrow channel between Iran and Oman that handles more than 20 million barrels of oil per day – has slowed sharply with ships queuing outside the area or diverting.
