India’s top refiner Reliance Industries Ltd. resumed Russian crude imports through non-sanctioned exporters after halting purchases in response to US sanctions on 22 October, according to Bloomberg. The company is routing those shipments to its 660,000-barrel-a-day refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat — a state along the western coast of India, which supplies the domestic market.
This comes amid Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, as international sanctions target Russian oil and gas exports to cut off the petrochemical revenues fueling its war. India has been Russia's ally throughout the ongoing war.
Reliance resumes Russian crude imports for domestic refinery
Reliance paused Russian oil imports after the US sanctioned Rosneft PJSC and Lukoil PJSC and gave buyers one month to wind down transactions. Bloomberg reports that Reliance rwas granted an additional month to receive vessels it had contracted before 22 October. The final shipment under that exemption arrived on 17 December, sources told Bloomberg.
Now the company is sourcing crude from Russian entities not covered by sanctions and using Aframax tankers operated by RusExport. Such tankers, used to bypass the international sanctions, are kown as Russia's "shadow fleet." These shipments go exclusively to Reliance’s domestic-facing refinery in Jamnagar. That unit, capable of processing 660,000 barrels per day, serves Indian customers and remains operational with continued Russian oil flows.
Meanwhile, Reliance’s export-focused refinery at the same Jamnagar complex has not received Russian crude since 20 November, the company said last month. That facility processes around 700,000 barrels daily but currently relies on other feedstock sources, as all Russian flows now supply only the domestic-oriented plant.
India’s Russian oil imports plunge
Indian officials this month estimated that national imports of Russian crude would drop to around 800,000 barrels per day in December. That marks a sharp fall from November’s average of 1.9 million barrels, driven largely by refiners halting purchases from sanctioned Russian firms.
Reliance’s return to the market through alternative suppliers is likely to soften that decline, though its volumes remain limited.
