Relevance: GS II (International Relations) & GS III (Energy Security) | Source: The Indian Express

1. The Core Crisis: Weaponizing Geography

• The Blockade: Following recent geopolitical escalations, Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz (a narrow, vital waterway between Iran and Oman).
• The Chokepoint: This strait is the world’s most critical energy artery, facilitating the transit of roughly 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
• The Strategic Shift: Realizing the extreme economic danger of relying on a single maritime chokepoint, Gulf nations are aggressively reviving overland pipelines to bypass the Persian Gulf entirely.

2. The Bypass Infrastructure 

To avoid the blocked strait, Middle Eastern nations are leaning heavily on alternative pipelines:

• Saudi East-West Pipeline (Petroline): Moves crude from Saudi Arabia’s eastern fields straight across the peninsula to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait completely.
• Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP): Allows the UAE to transport oil from its inland fields directly to the port of Fujairah, which sits safely on the Gulf of Oman (outside the chokepoint).
• The “Trapped” Nations: Geographically, countries like Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain are trapped deep within the Persian Gulf. They lack the landmass to build overland bypass routes, making their economies highly vulnerable.

3. Significance for Indian Administration

• Energy Shock: India imports over 85% of its crude oil. This blockade caused a massive 17% drop in India’s March imports, threatening high imported inflation and a widening Current Account Deficit (CAD).
• The Way Forward: To secure its economy, India must urgently expand its underground Strategic Petroleum Reserves (ISPRL) and accelerate mega-connectivity projects like the IMEC, which offers a strategic, multimodal bypass for Indian trade.

UPSC Value Box

Key Concept	Simple Meaning
ISPRL	Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited. Maintains emergency underground rock caverns of oil (at Mangaluru, Padur, Visakhapatnam) to protect India from sudden global supply shocks.
IMEC	India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. A proposed strategic ship-to-rail transit network that links India to Europe, reducing reliance on both the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal.

With reference to the strategic energy infrastructure and geography of West Asia, consider the following statements:

1. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea.
2. The Saudi East-West Pipeline (Petroline) transports crude oil across the Arabian Peninsula to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea.
3. The Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP) enables the export of crude oil by completely bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (b)