LaycanDeskAmmonia freight to India - Sur, Salalah, Bontang and Kerteh to Paradip, Kandla, Sikka and Kakinada
Refrigerated anhydrous ammonia from Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia to the tanks of the Indian DAP and NPK plants on mid-size gas carriers. India imported 2.57 million tonnes of anhydrous ammonia in 2025 and took 43 percent of it from inside the Gulf (UN Comtrade); the Strait of Hormuz has been severely restricted since 28 February 2026, leaving about 91,000 tonnes a month to replace. The desk works the lane on the open load terminals, the receiving tank and jetty at each Indian port, and the gas carrier's last cargoes.
India's phosphate fertilizer plants run on imported ammonia: 2.39 million tonnes in 2024 and 2.57 million tonnes in 2025, when Oman supplied 39 percent, Saudi Arabia 36 percent, Indonesia 8.5 percent, Qatar 4.7 percent, Malaysia 4.4 percent and Australia 2.3 percent (UN Comtrade). The Saudi, Qatari, UAE and Bahraini tonnes load inside the Strait of Hormuz. When it closed, a ship due to load there for Kandla sat idle; a consortium tender for 536,000 tonnes for June to August 2026 drew offers for only 239,000 tonnes, and one Paradip plant stopped in late May for want of ammonia and sulphur. India set the customs duty on ammonia at nil from 2 April to 30 June 2026. The open supply is Oman first: the Sur plant produced 1.35 million tonnes of ammonia in 2025 and sent 61 percent of its ammonia shipments to India in 2023 to 2025, and Salalah has exported from a plant of 1,000 tonnes a day since 2022. Beyond Oman the cargoes come from Bontang and Luwuk in Indonesia, Kerteh and Bintulu in Malaysia and the Burrup in Western Australia; a 25,500 tonne ship was rerouted from the Gulf to load Bontang in March 2026.
Ammonia moves fully refrigerated at about minus 33 degrees on gas carriers, and the parcels fixed on this trade in March 2026 were 25,500 to 26,870 tonnes. The receiving tank decides the discharge plan as much as the jetty. Paradip has the largest tanks, 50,000 and 40,000 tonnes at the two fertilizer complexes, and one of them has its own all-weather berth with 14 metres of draft; Kandla has 38,000 tonnes of storage behind a captive liquid jetty; the Sikka jetty takes ships up to 190 metres on a berth draft of 10.5 metres. Kakinada, Vizag, Ennore, New Mangalore, Kochi and Tuticorin hold 10,000 to 13,000 tonnes in most cases, so a 25,000 tonne ship discharges at two ports or the receiver takes a smaller carrier. Charterers send the producer and load terminal, quantity and tolerance, the receiving terminal with its tank space, jetty length and draft, the discharge rotation, laycan, commission and the receiver of record; owners are asked for the ship's last three cargoes and her tank condition, because a carrier coming off LPG has to be changed over before she loads ammonia.
Load terminals
- Sur, Oman: 1.35 Mt of ammonia produced in 2025, 60,000 t storage
- Salalah, Oman: 1,000 t/day plant, exporting since 2022
- Bontang and Luwuk (Indonesia), Kerteh and Bintulu (Malaysia)
- Burrup, Western Australia: 80,000 t storage
Discharge terminals
- Paradip: tanks of 50,000 t and 40,000 t; captive all-weather berth, 14 m draft
- Kandla: 38,000 t storage, captive liquid jetty
- Sikka: LOA to 190 m, berth draft 10.5 m
- Kakinada, Vizag, Ennore, New Mangalore, Kochi, Tuticorin: mostly 10,000–13,000 t tanks
Typical parcels
- 25,500–26,870 t on mid-size gas carriers (March 2026 fixtures)
- Two-port discharge or smaller carriers for the 10,000–13,000 t tanks
- India 2025: 2.57 Mt imported, 43% from inside the Gulf (UN Comtrade)
- Carried fully refrigerated at about −33 °C; last three cargoes stated
Ships that carry it
The cargo itself, on Commbril
The cargo from the freight side
Questions charterers and owners ask
What size of gas carrier works into the Indian ammonia terminals?
The parcels fixed on this trade in March 2026 were 25,500 to 26,870 tonnes, on mid-size fully refrigerated carriers. Paradip, with tanks of 50,000 and 40,000 tonnes, and Kandla, with 38,000 tonnes, take that in one lot. Most other terminals hold 10,000 to 13,000 tonnes, so the ship discharges at two ports or the receiver takes a smaller carrier.
Which jetty limits should I state?
The ones for your terminal on the laycan. Of those published, one Paradip complex has its own all-weather berth with 14 metres of draft, and the Sikka jetty takes ships up to 190 metres on a berth draft of 10.5 metres. Send the jetty's length, draft and the free tank space with the stem, because owners will not fix a gas carrier against an unknown jetty.
Where does ammonia for India load now?
Outside the Strait of Hormuz. Oman was already India's largest origin at 39 percent in 2025, from Sur and Salalah; Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia supplied a further 15 percent between them (UN Comtrade). Name the producer and the load terminal and the stem goes to owners.
What must I send to get a named ship?
Producer and load terminal, quantity and tolerance, the receiving terminal with tank space, jetty length and draft, the discharge rotation, laycan, commission and the receiver of record. Owners of fully refrigerated gas carriers opening in the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal or Southeast Asia send name, IMO number, cubic capacity, last three cargoes, tank condition, open port and dates to desk-a005f1@in.laycandesk.com.