Russia’s crude oil exports by sea jumped by 880,000 barrels per day (bpd) week-over-week to 3.4 million bpd in the week to August 27, tanker-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg showed on Tuesday.
Following several months of increased imports of Russian crude by India, the trend may finally begin to wane as it stockpiles enough to meet the country’s demand. India has favoured Russian crude in recent months due to its discounted prices, making its oil much cheaper than Middle Eastern alternatives.
China added some downward pressure to oil prices this week when it clearly signaled its intent to buy more discounted Russian oil.