Indian Captain Steers Oil Tanker Through Gulf War Zone — Saudi Crude Safely Reaches Mumbai
Story By -
Divya Sharma 2026-03-13 Gulf War Zone, Indian Shipping 119
There are moments in a geopolitical crisis that cut through all the noise and land with real human weight. The sight of the Liberia-flagged tanker Shenlong gliding into Mumbai Port on the afternoon of March 12, 2026 — carrying over 135,000 metric tonnes of Saudi crude oil, commanded by an Indian captain — was one of them.
It was not just a ship docking. It was the first India-bound oil tanker to successfully cross the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran-US conflict erupted on February 28. And the way it got here — quietly, carefully, and for a stretch of the most dangerous waters in the world, completely invisible to radar — is a story worth understanding.
The Ship, the Captain, and the Cargo
The Shenlong is a Suezmax-class tanker — one of the larger categories of crude oil carriers in the world, designed to carry massive volumes of oil through the Suez Canal. It is owned by Shenlong Shipping Ltd and managed by Dynacom Tanker Management Ltd, an Athens-based company.
The vessel loaded crude oil at Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia's primary oil export terminal on the Persian Gulf coast, on March 1. It departed two days later on March 3, beginning a journey that would take it through some of the most contested waters on the planet.
The ship carried a crew of 29 — Indian, Pakistani, and Filipino nationals — and was captained by Sukshant Singh Sandhu, an Indian national. It transported 1,35,335 metric tonnes of Saudi crude oil, which upon arrival was berthed at the Jawahar Dweep Terminal at Mumbai Port and began discharging cargo for onward transport to refineries in Mahul, eastern Mumbai. The unloading process was expected to take approximately 36 hours.
Praveen Singh, Deputy Conservator of the Mumbai Port Authority, confirmed the arrival: "The ship Shenlong is carrying 1,35,335 metric tonnes of crude oil. She is berthed at Jawahar Dweep Terminal and has started discharging the cargo."
The Dangerous Crossing — Going "Dark" Through Hormuz
What made the Shenlong's journey extraordinary was not the destination but the route. The Strait of Hormuz — the narrow 21-mile-wide channel between Iran and Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world's daily crude oil flows — has been effectively closed to commercial shipping since Iran declared it dangerous following the US-Israel strikes on Iranian territory in late February 2026.
Iran's IRGC Naval Force commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri had issued an unambiguous warning to all shipping: any vessel wishing to cross the Strait must obtain Iran's permission, or risk being targeted. Two ships that ignored those warnings — the Express Rome and the Mayuree Naree — were struck in the strait on the same day the Shenlong docked in Mumbai. The Mayuree Naree, a Thai bulk carrier that was actually bound for Kandla Port in Gujarat, caught fire after being hit, with three crew members reported missing.
Against this backdrop, the Shenlong made a calculated and high-stakes decision. According to maritime tracking data, the vessel's last recorded position inside the strait appeared on ship-tracking databases on March 8. Then, as it entered the most sensitive and dangerous stretch of the waterway, its signals simply disappeared.
The tanker had switched off its AIS — Automatic Identification System — the mandatory maritime radio system that broadcasts a ship's identity, position, speed, and course to nearby vessels and shore stations. In normal times, switching off AIS is a serious violation of maritime regulations. In the middle of an active conflict zone where ships are being struck by missiles and drones, it is a survival strategy.
This tactic has been dubbed "dark transit" or "dark mode" by maritime experts. When a ship turns off its AIS, it becomes essentially invisible to standard tracking platforms — and potentially less visible to the electronic targeting systems used by warring parties. The Shenlong went dark, crossed the most dangerous section of the strait, and reappeared on tracking systems on March 9, sailing safely toward India.
It docked at Mumbai Port at 1:00 PM on March 12 and was berthed at Jawahar Dweep Terminal by 6:06 PM.
Another Vessel Already on Its Way
The Shenlong was not alone in making this crossing. According to Moneycontrol and maritime tracking reports, two oil tankers heading to India had crossed the Strait of Hormuz with their tracking systems switched off between March 5 and March 10. A second vessel was also confirmed to be on its way to India at the time of the Shenlong's arrival.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs had been engaging in diplomatic discussions with Iranian counterparts to facilitate safe passage for Indian-bound vessels. Iran has publicly stated that vessels not serving the interests of the United States or Israel would be permitted to sail through safely — a diplomatic nuance that India has been carefully navigating.
The government also confirmed that two Indian-flagged ships were allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz between March 11 and 12, suggesting that quiet diplomacy had yielded some results in keeping India's energy supply lines open.
28 Indian Ships Still in the Gulf — Hundreds of Seafarers at Risk
While the Shenlong's safe arrival was cause for relief, the broader picture for Indian maritime interests in the Gulf remains concerning. India's Directorate General of Shipping confirmed that 28 Indian-flagged vessels are currently operating in the Persian Gulf region.
Of these, 24 vessels are located west of the Strait of Hormuz — inside the Persian Gulf itself — carrying 677 Indian seafarers on board. Another four vessels are east of the Strait, carrying 101 Indian seafarers. Seven vessels had moved out toward the Arabian Sea in recent days to seek safer waters, and one had diverted toward Angola.
The Ministry of Shipping has been running a 24-hour control room since February 28 to monitor developments and coordinate assistance. Authorities, ship managers, and recruitment agencies have been coordinating closely with Indian embassies and local authorities in the Gulf region.
Iran has simultaneously expanded its maritime control requirements. Tehran now requires all vessels to obtain permission before transiting the strait. Given that Iran has already struck ships that ignored these requirements, the message to global shipping has been clear — and the risks to the hundreds of Indian seafarers still in the region are very real.
What This Means for India's Energy Security
As covered in our earlier piece on India's LPG crisis and the West Asia conflict, India imports over 80 percent of its crude oil needs, and more than half of those imports typically flow through the Strait of Hormuz. The Shenlong's arrival carries significance well beyond one ship.
The 1,35,335 metric tonnes of crude it delivered will be immediately processed at refineries in Maharashtra and Gujarat, helping replenish reserves that have come under pressure since the conflict disrupted supply routes. More importantly, the successful crossing demonstrated that India-bound tankers can still navigate the Strait — provided they do so carefully, quietly, and with diplomatic backing.
Saudi Arabia has also begun adapting its export strategy. The Kingdom has expanded cargo loading at its west coast port of Yanbu, which is connected to the Red Sea via the East-West Pipeline — completely bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Traditionally, oil heading for India ships from Saudi Arabia's east coast. But with Yanbu volumes rising, India's refiners gain access to an alternative supply route that sidesteps the conflict zone entirely.
The Shenlong's "dark transit" strategy may now become a blueprint for other tankers attempting to keep global energy markets running through the 2026 crisis. Whether Iran continues to permit such crossings — or tightens its grip further — remains the critical unknown.
A Captain, a Crew, and a Country Watching
It is easy to reduce stories like this to numbers — barrels of crude, metric tonnes of oil, shipping lanes and geopolitical calculations. But at the centre of the Shenlong's story is a 29-person crew that sailed through an active war zone, under the constant threat of missile and drone strikes, with their tracking systems switched off and no guarantee of safe arrival.
Captain Sukshant Singh Sandhu brought them through. And in doing so, he delivered more than oil — he delivered a measure of reassurance to a country watching its energy supply lines with considerable anxiety.
For now, India's oil lifeline has not broken. But it is being tested harder than it has been in years.
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