Led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, the group was set to resume modest output hikes from April after a three-month freeze. In Q4, it added 137,000 barrels a day each month.
India shipped in about 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian oil in 2022/23, the data showed, about 23% of its overall 4.65 million bpd imports.
Announcement by oil-producing cartel Sunday sent global markets into flux, with crude prices surging high. Experts say India will only feel effects in medium to long term.
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies, including Russia, shook markets by announcing output cuts of about 1.16 million barrels/day on Sunday.
With its fleet of hurriedly assembled tankers, Moscow is likely to defy EU oil sanctions. Moreover, eased US sanctions on Venezuelan crude to help New Delhi meet energy demand.
Oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri warned that these cuts could tip the world into recession. He also informed that Indian firms have signed new oil supply deals with Colombia and Brazil.
Basrah Medium & Heavy crude, Iraq's main exported grades, face a threat in international markets as major buyers, India & China prefer discounted Russian crude oil after Ukraine invasion.
The EU plans to ban Russian oil over the next six months and refined fuels by the end of the year, to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.
After dominating India’s crude imports since 2023, Russian supplies slowed amid US sanctions, but a 30-day ‘waiver’ amid West Asia tensions could now push flows back towards 2 mbpd.
Trump has ushered in the age of humiliation. His method is to push around America’s friends rudely and publicly. He knows none of them can afford to fight back.
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