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Akbar Novruz

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Tankers carrying Russian oil have been left stranded at sea after Indian refineries reduced purchases, Azernews reports citing Bloomberg.

In December, supplies of Russian oil to Indian ports dropped sharply to around 1.2 million barrels per day, marking the lowest level in more than three years. The decline deepened in January, with imports during the first 25 days of the month averaging 1.12 million barrels per day, according to available data.

The slowdown coincided with the European Union’s ban on imports of petroleum products made from Russian oil, which came into force on January 21, adding further strain to Russia’s export routes.

Bloomberg notes that India’s reduced intake has led to a surge in the number of oil tankers waiting offshore, particularly near the Indian coast and Oman, in recent weeks. While the number of vessels anchored off Oman has gradually declined, many tankers that had already departed are now idling near India, with some being redirected toward China. So far, only one vessel has reportedly unloaded its cargo.

Additional pressure on Russian oil flows is also coming from tougher measures imposed by the EU and the United Kingdom against Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”—tankers used to transport oil under sanctions—further complicating Moscow’s efforts to reroute exports amid tightening restrictions.