Two Russian oil cargoes that had been signaling East Asia as a destination have switched to India, according to ship-tracking data, suggesting New Delhi is becoming more willing to take the crude as the Middle East conflict worsens.
Two tankers carrying around 1.4 million barrels of Urals oil combined are expected to discharge at Indian ports this week, after previously indicating that they were headed farther east, data from Kpler and Vortexa show. Urals, which loads in the Baltic and Black Seas, was previously very popular with Indian refiners, but flows have slowed sharply this year due to US pressure on New Delhi to stop buying it.
The Odune, a Suezmax carrying 730,000 barrels, arrived at Paradip on India’s east coast on Wednesday, data and port agent’s reports show, although it’s unclear if it’s discharged yet. Matari, an Aframax with more than 700,000 barrels, will reach Vadinar in western India on Thursday.
Indian refiners — wary of complicating trade talks with Washington — had pared back their purchases of Russian oil in recent weeks, which had forced Moscow to seek buyers in China. However, the war in the Middle East and the effective closure of Strait of Hormuz are now raising the prospect of crude shortages, and processors in the South Asian nation appear to be turning back to Russian barrels.
More changes of destination may follow. Indri, a Suezmax in the Arabian Sea that’s signaling it’s heading to Singapore made a sharp turn north this week toward India with about 730,000 barrels of Urals on board, ship-tracking data show.
All three vessels — Odune, Matari and Indri — were sanctioned by the UK and the European Union last year.
Global Ship Solutions LLC, which is based in Azerbaijan and listed as Odune’s manager on database Equasis, didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. There were no contact details for its Hong Kong-based owner, Sylvarn Fleetline Ltd.
Matari’s manager, Anchor Elite Shipmanagement, which is also registered in Azerbaijan, didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Contact details for its owner Oasis Bloom Corp couldn’t be found.
There were no email or telephone numbers listed for Indri’s owner Veyronda Seaborne Ltd. in Hong Kong and manager Stellar Ship Solutions LLC in Azerbaijan.
This report is auto-generated from Bloomberg news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.