Asia buyers to receive more Saudi oil ahead of Iran sanctions
By Trend
At least three North Asian buyers will receive extra supplies of oil from Saudi Arabia after the kingdom cut its prices for most grades in October and as they look to cushion the impact on supply of U.S. sanctions on Iran, sources said, Reuters reports.
Buyers have asked to lift more Saudi oil than contracted volumes in October amid fears that the sanctions, to be imposed on Iran’s crude exports from Nov. 4, will crimp supply during peak winter demand in Asia, the sources said.
Saudi Aramco will supply more oil to the buyers in October, with one to receive more Arab Light crude, the sources said. They declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak with media.
State-owned Saudi Aramco has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Washington has asked buyers of Iranian oil to cut imports to zero in the run up to early November to force Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear agreement and to curb its influence in the Middle East.
Concerns over supply from the country have driven Middle East crude benchmarks to their highest in more than a year.
A strong Brent price has also made oil from Europe and Africa more expensive for Asian refiners, while the U.S.-China trade war has sharply reduced China’s oil imports from the United States.