Who is buying Russian crude oil and who has stopped?

The drop in costs for crude oil per barrel to 151.00, resulting in a cut of R1.26 per litre of petrol, is welcome by motorist who may be delighted to know a second drop could be in the pipeline for mid February. Picture: Timothy Bernard

The drop in costs for crude oil per barrel to 151.00, resulting in a cut of R1.26 per litre of petrol, is welcome by motorist who may be delighted to know a second drop could be in the pipeline for mid February. Picture: Timothy Bernard

Published May 2, 2022

Share

Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States have imposed outright bans on Russian oil purchases but the 27 members of the European Union have not been able to agree on the embargo.

The bloc is leaning toward a ban on imports of Russian oil by the end of the year as part of a sixth package of sanctions against Russia.

Here is the response by countries regarding purchases of Russian oil since the war in Ukraine started on February 24 and how companies have acted.

COUNTRIES' RESPONSES.

Germany, the EU's largest economy, said it would be able to weather an EU embargo on Russian oil imports by the end of this year even though a stoppage could result in shortages.

Hungary said it opposed any European Union embargo on Russian oil and gas imports.

Many refiners in Europe, however, have stopped buying Russian crude voluntarily, or promised to do so when their long-term contracts expire.

Major global trading houses are also planning to reduce Russian crude and fuel purchases from May 15.

As a result, Russian diesel exports from the Baltic port of Primorsk, a key supply source for Europe, were set to drop by more than 30% in May.

China and India, which have refused to condemn Russia's actions, continue to buy Russian crude.

Below are current and former buyers of Russian crude (in alphabetical order):

CURRENT BUYERS

BHARAT PETROLEUM

Indian state-run refiner Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd has bought 2 million barrels of Russian Urals for May, loading from trader Trafigura, two people familiar with the purchase said. The company regularly buys Russian Urals for its 310 000 barrelsper day (bpd) Kochi refinery in southern India.

HELLENIC PETROLEUM

Greece's biggest oil refiner relies on Russian crude for about 15% of its intake. The company earlier this month secured additional supplies from Saudi Arabia.

HINDUSTAN PETROLEUM,

India's state refiner bought 2 million barrels of Russian Urals for May loading, according to trading sources last week.

INDIAN OIL CORP

India's top refiner has bought 6 million barrels of Urals since February 24 and has a supply contract with Rosneft for up to 15 million barrels of Russian crude in 2022.

However, the refiner, which also buys crude on behalf of its Chennai Petroleum subsidiary, has excluded several high-sulphur crude grades, including Urals, from its latest tender, according to trading sources.

ISAB

Italy's largest refinery, owned by Lukoil-controlled Swiss-based Litasco SA, has been forced to source nearly all its crude oil from its Russian owner because international banks are no longer providing it with credit.

The Italian government is considering temporary nationalisation of ISAB as one of its options if sanctions are imposed on Russian oil, two government sources said.

[email protected]

The land-locked Leuna refinery in eastern Germany, majority-owned by France's Total Energies, is also fed Russian crude by the Druzhba pipeline.

MANGALORE REFINERY AND PETROCHEMICALS

The state-run Indian refiner has bought a million barrels of Russian Urals crude for May loading via a tender from a European trader, a rare purchase driven by the discount offered.

MIRO

Russian crude continues to account for about 14% of the intake at Germany's largest refinery, Miro, which is 24% owned by Rosneft.

MOL

The Hungarian oil company, which operates three refineries in Hungary and Slovakia and Croatia, continues to buy Russian crude via the Druzhba pipeline, as well as refined products.

The company said it would take two to four years and cost between $500 million and $700 million to replace Russian oil imports in case of a full European embargo.

NAYARA ENERGY

The Indian private refiner, part-owned by Rosneft, has purchased Russian oil after a gap of a year, buying about 1.8 million barrels of Urals from Trafigura.

NEFTOCHIM BURGAS

A Bulgarian refinery, owned by Russia's Lukoil, and with Russian crude accounting for about 60% of its intake, continues to refine Russian crude.

PCK SCHWEDT

Germany's PCK Schwedt refinery, 54% owned by Rosneft, receives crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline.

PERTAMINA

Indonesian state energy firm PT Pertamina is considering buying crude oil from Russia as it seeks oil for a newly revamped refinery.

PKN Orlen

Poland's largest refiner has stopped buying Russian crude on the spot market, switching to North Sea oil, but is buying Urals under previously signed contracts which expire by the en dof this year or later.

The company, which operates refineries in Lithuania, Poland and the Czech Republic, saw its profit from refining surge in March thanks to the discount it pays for Russian oil.

SINOPEC

China's state-run Sinopec, Asia's largest refiner, is continuing to purchase Russian crude under previously signed long-term contracts but is steering clear of new spot deals.

FORMER BUYERS

BP

The British oil major, which is abandoning its stake in Rosneft, will not enter new deals with Russian entities for loading at Russian ports, unless "essential for ensuring security of supplies".

ENEOS

Japan's biggest refiner has stopped buying crude oil from Russia, while some cargoes signed under previous agreements will arrive in Japan until around April. The company plans to source alternative supplies from the Middle East.

ENI

The energy group, 30.3% owned by the Italian government, is suspending purchases of Russian oil.

No Russian crude will be used at Germany's Bayernoil refinery, in which Eni and Rosneft have stakes.

EQUINOR

Norway's majority state-owned energy firm has stopped trading Russian oil as it winds down its operations in the country.

GALP

The Portuguese oil and gas company has suspended all new purchases of petroleum products from Russia or Russian companies.

GLENCORE

The global mining and trading firm, which holds a 0.57% stake in Rosneft, said it would continue to honour its obligations under previously signed contracts, but would "not enter into any new trading business in respect of Russian origin commodities unless directed by the relevant government authorities".

NESTE

The Finnish refiner has not bought Russian crude oil on the spot market since the start of the war and is not planning to sign new deals when the long-term supply contract ends in July. From the start of April, the refiner has replaced about 85% of the Russian crude oil with other crudes.

OMV PETROM

Romania's top oil and gas firm, controlled by Austria's OMV has said it was preparing to wean itself off Russian crude imports, which account to about 30% of its Petrobrazi refinery's annual needs.

PREEM

Sweden's largest refiner, owned by Saudi billionaire Mohammed Hussein al-Amoudi, has "paused" new orders of Russian crude, which accounted for about 7% of its purchases, replacing them with North Sea barrels.

REPSOL

The Spanish company has stopped buying Russian crude oil in the spot market.

SHELL

The world's largest petroleum trader has stopped buying Russian crude and on April 27 said it would no longer accept refined products with any Russian content, including blended fuels.

TRAFIGURA

The Geneva-based global commodities trader plans to stop all purchases of crude oil from Rosneft by May 15 when tighter EU rules on Russian oil sales come into effect, and "substantially"reduce volume of refined products it buys from Rosneft.

TOTALENERGIES

The French oil company has said it would no longer enter into or renew the existing contracts to buy Russian crude oil and petroleum products, with the aim of halting all purchases by the end of 2022.

The contracts primarily cover supplies for its Leuna refinery in eastern Germany, which gets Russian crude via the Druzhba pipeline, as well as Europe's gas oil supply.

VARO ENERGY

The Swiss refiner, which owns 51.4% in Germany's Bayernoil refinery, has said it does not plan to enter into new deals to buy Russian crude.

Related Video:

Related Topics: