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India oil imports from the Gulf rise as Russian crude eases in September

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India oil imports from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar rose sharply in September, while purchases from Russia fell for a second month, the Indian Express reported on Saturday. Vessel-tracking data from Kpler put Russian crude at 1.9 million barrels a day, down almost 9 percent from 2.1 million barrels a day in August.

India oil imports from the Gulf rise as Russian crude eases in September
The Jamnagar refinery, part of the refining system that takes India's crude imports. Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0.

Why India oil imports from Russia slipped

Traders and analysts told the paper the drop came from stronger buying by Chinese refiners and from tighter Russian availability after Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure. The loss was more than offset, in volume terms, by the jump in Gulf cargoes. Ship-to-ship transfers helped move some of that West Asian crude through the Strait of Hormuz while the regional conflict continued.

An oil refinery complex in India
An Indian oil refinery. Gulf cargoes rose in September as Russian arrivals eased. Photo: CC BY 2.0.

The shift sits on a longer change. Since March 2026, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have made Gulf flows less reliable and freight more expensive. Refiners have also looked to African and American barrels when Gulf cargoes were hard to fix. Russian crude is still the largest single source. It is no longer rising month after month.

Satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz, where ship-to-ship transfers moved some September cargoes. Photo: NASA MODIS, public domain.

The policy pressure around the same barrels

New Delhi has said its priority is fuel for 1.4 billion people, bought from more than one region. A recently enacted United States law on Russia and Iran sanctions has added uncertainty for refiners who still lift Russian grades. The September numbers do not show a stop. They show India oil imports tilting back toward the Gulf for one month, using ship-to-ship transfers to keep those cargoes moving, while Russian arrivals eased.

A single-buoy mooring used to unload crude
A single-buoy mooring at Kochi Refinery, where imported crude is unloaded. Photo: public domain, BPCL Kochi Refinery.

October’s picture will depend on whether Chinese buying stays heavy and whether Hormuz transfers keep the Gulf option open. The September ledger is already clear: 1.9 million barrels a day from Russia, and a higher Gulf share beside it.

The rail line at Kochi Refinery
The rail line at BPCL Kochi Refinery in Kerala. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

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