Following Ukraine’s large-scale strikes on Russian oil refining infrastructure, Russia’s largest energy companies have begun seeking additional sources of gasoline abroad. According to two informed sources, Russian companies have approached Indian oil refineries with requests to increase fuel supplies. This was reported by Dengi.ua, citing an article by Reuters.
India remains the largest buyer of Russian seaborne oil. Against this backdrop, Moscow’s request to import Indian gasoline represents an unusual shift in bilateral energy cooperation and underscores the severe consequences of the attacks on Russia’s oil refining industry. According to sources, Russia is currently experiencing the most severe gasoline crisis in its history.
Sources told the agency that at least one cargo of gasoline from India has already been dispatched to Russia, with further deliveries expected. According to one source’s estimate, about 40% of Russia’s damaged refining capacity will be unable to resume operations for at least two months, assuming no further attacks occur.
According to the agency, the companies that have been in contact with Indian partners include Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, and Lukoil. The source noted that negotiations are underway with both state-owned and private Indian refineries, and if agreements are reached, deliveries will be made through traders.
Representatives of India’s three largest state-owned oil refiners - Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum - confirmed to the publication that they had received requests from Russian companies for additional volumes of gasoline. However, they said they do not have any spare volumes available for export. All of the agency’s sources agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.
One of the sources also reported that any potential future fuel shipments could be executed via ship-to-ship transfers. In addition, if new Ukrainian attacks lead to a further reduction in refining capacity, Russia may begin seeking diesel fuel supplies, although current stockpiles are still sufficient.
Nayara Energy, a private company partly owned by Rosneft that previously shipped two cargoes of Indian gasoline, told Reuters that it has no plans to supply fuel to Russian companies.
“Nayara Energy remains committed to serving the Indian market and meeting fuel demand throughout India,” the company emphasized.
