An Indian Oil petrol pump can be in Kolkata
Indian refiners’ love of Middle East crude should not be forgotten
Russian oil may be top of India’s menu, but its appetite for Middle East grades will always be a crucial part of the diet
The Middle East has consistently been the largest supplier of crude oil to India. The region’s share has been eaten into by cheap Russian grades during the last two years, but barrels from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the rest of the Mideast Gulf is expected to be the mainstay of Indian crude imports in the medium and long run. The headlines for the past two years have told the same story: Russia has been the top crude source by single country for India since the Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022. Russian supplies have hovered between 35% and 40% in each month as Moscow provides deep discounts on its crude. But taken as a whole, the Middle East still provides the majority of the crude. M
Also in this section
8 January 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia are at the dawn of breathtaking digital capabilities. Their energy infrastructure must keep up with their ambitions
8 January 2026
The next five years will be critical for the North Sea, and it will be policy not geology that will decide the basin’s future
8 January 2026
The region’s access to versatile feedstock, combined with policy support, is setting it up to meet growing demand both at home and abroad
7 January 2026
No longer can the energy source be considered a sidekick to oil in the Middle East and neither should it step aside for less convincing alternatives
