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New Delhi. The Petroleum Ministry on Saturday denied reports alleging that an Iranian crude oil ship bound for India was diverted to China due to payment issues. The Petroleum Ministry said that India has not faced any payment hurdles regarding the import of crude oil. Rejecting media reports, the ministry said that the discharge port and destination given in the bill of lading are often indicative only and the destination is subject to change mid-voyage on the basis of operational convenience and to optimize seaborne cargo trade.

Read:- Amidst the energy crisis, Iran gave a strong reply to America, said- Crude oil is not for international markets.

The Petroleum Ministry said that reports of Iranian crude oil cargo being diverted from India’s Vadinar to China due to payment issues are completely false. India imports crude oil from more than 40 countries and companies have complete freedom to purchase oil from different sources and locations depending on business needs. Indian refineries have met their crude oil needs, including from Iran, amid supply disruptions in the Middle East. As some rumors are spreading, there is no payment blockage in the import of Iranian crude oil. Claims about ship diversion ignore how the oil trade works. The discharge port and destination are often given in the bill of lading only as an indication. To improve seaborne cargo trade and for operational convenience, the destination can be changed mid-voyage. Clarifying on the rumors to LPG supply, the Ministry clarified that the LPG ship Sea Bird, which was loaded with about 44 TMT of Iranian LPG, reached Mangalore on Thursday and the cargo is currently being unloaded from there.