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India's Russian Oil Imports Steady at 1.8M BPD as Middle East Fills Supply Gaps
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News18•24-09-2026, 18:00
India's Russian Oil Imports Steady at 1.8M BPD as Middle East Fills Supply Gaps
- •India's Russian crude imports are holding near 1.8 million barrels per day in September, steady from August but below July levels.
- •Refinery maintenance and increased Chinese buying impacted Russian flows, leading Middle Eastern suppliers to fill the void.
- •Iraq and Saudi Arabia significantly increased their crude supplies to India in September, compensating for reduced Russian volumes.
- •The decline in Russian imports in August was partly due to disruptions in Russian export infrastructure, according to Kpler analyst Nikhil Dubey.
- •While India prioritizes energy security and is unlikely to significantly reduce Russian crude purchases soon, replacing Russian barrels would come at a cost and could tighten the global market for medium-grade crude.
Key Questions Answered
India's imports of Russian crude are running at approximately 1.8 million barrels per day in September, remaining broadly steady from August levels.
Iraq and Saudi Arabia increased their shipments to make up for lower Russian volumes, with Iraq supplying around 505,000 bpd and Saudi volumes rising to 576,000 bpd in September.
The outlook for Russian oil supplies could become more complicated if the proposed act imposes tougher restrictions on countries continuing to buy Russian oil.
