Indian refiners are increasing their planned purchases from OPEC nations, Mexico and the United States to make up for any loss of Iranian oil if the U.S. enforces sanctions more harshly from next month, sources and company officials said.
All four Indian state-owned refiners that buy Iranian oil are confident of securing additional barrels from other producers, officials from the companies told Reuters.
The state refiners have not yet placed orders for Iranian oil for May, when the current waiver expires, pending clarity from the United States.
India’s Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) have tapped Iraq to make up for Iranian oil, while Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has signed its first annual contract with U.S. suppliers and raised supplies from Mexico.
“There will be no supply constraints. The supply can come from both OPEC and non-OPEC nations like the U.S.,” said M. K. Surana, chairman of Hindustan Petroleum Corp, which purchased up to 1.5 million tonnes per year of Iranian crude in 2018/19.
OPEC and other producers including Russia have gradually tightened supply through 2019 to reduce a global glut. OPEC and its partners may not renew the curbs when they expire after June because of the risk of over-tightening the market.
IOC, India’s top refiner and Iran’s biggest Indian client, will cut Iranian oil imports to 6 million tonnes, or about 120,000 barrels per day, in the 2019/20 period from 9 million in 2018/19, and has raised the optional volumes it can buy from other producers to 2 million tonnes, a company official said.
“Our optional quantities under term deals are higher than last year. We have optional contracts with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other suppliers... They will supply more if we want,” the official said, adding his firm would also buy more U.S. oil if required.
Recommended Reading
Formentera Joins EOG in Wildcatting South Texas’ Oily Pearsall Pay
2025-01-15 - Known in the past as a “heartbreak shale,” Formentera Partners is counting on bigger completions and longer laterals to crack the Pearsall code, Managing Partner Bryan Sheffield said. EOG Resources is also exploring the shale.
Norway Awards Equinor 27 Production Licenses in Latest Round
2025-01-14 - Equinor ASA, Aker BP ASA, Vår Energi ASA and DNO ASA were selected for the most offshore licenses in Norway’s annual licensing rounds.
ADNOC Contracts Flowserve to Supply Tech for CCS, EOR Project
2025-01-14 - Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. has contracted Flowserve Corp. for the supply of dry gas seal systems for EOR and a carbon capture project at its Habshan facility in the Middle East.
E&P Highlights: Jan. 13, 2025
2025-01-13 - Here’s a roundup of the latest E&P headlines, including Chevron starting production from a platform in the Gulf of Mexico and several new products for pipelines.
Atlas Energy’s Dune Express Makes First Proppant Delivery to NM
2025-01-13 - Atlas Energy Solutions’ 42-mile Dune Express fully electric conveyor system delivered its first commercial load of proppant sand from Texas to New Mexico on Jan. 12.