At least three oil tankers transporting oil from the Russian Federation have marked the Reliance Industries Ltd. plant on the western coast of India as their next destination. This comes after the refinery complex resumed some purchases for its own production needs.
This is reported by Finway
Tankers with Russian Oil Head to India
Analysts from Kpler report that tankers loaded with nearly 2.2 million barrels of Urals crude are currently signaling their direction towards the large Jamnagar refinery complex. These vessels are expected to arrive and unload in early January. At the same time, it is noted that the destinations of the vessels may be adjusted just before their arrival on the shores of India.
Changes in Procurement Policy and the Impact of Sanctions
Initially, Reliance had ceased cooperation after the U.S. authorities added PJSC “Rosneft” and PJSC “Lukoil” to the sanctions list. In November, Reliance officially announced the cessation of Russian oil usage in its export activities. However, the company later resumed purchases of Russian oil that is not subject to sanctions for its own domestic consumption.
A representative from Reliance emphasized that the company has no obligations regarding the import of Russian oil in January. Meanwhile, analysts note that Reliance, controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, remained one of the largest global consumers of Russian oil throughout 2024-2025.
“Supplies of Russian oil to the Reliance refinery in Jamnagar accounted for over 40% of the plant’s imports from January to November last year.”
Previously, “Rosneft” was the main supplier of raw materials for the Reliance plant under a long-term agreement for 500,000 barrels per day. New supplies, according to Kpler, are being conducted by traders Alghaf Marine DMCC, Redwood Global Supply FZ LLC, RusExport, and Ethos Energy. It is worth noting that Alghaf Marine and Redwood Global have been sanctioned by the UK, and Alghaf Marine is the successor to the Middle Eastern division of Litasco, which is linked to “Lukoil.”