Reliance is back to buying Russian oil for Jamnagar refinery
Reliance Industries has started importing discounted Russian crude again, after a short pause caused by US sanctions on major Russian suppliers.
They're now getting oil from non-sanctioned sellers using Aframax tankers, mainly to keep their massive Jamnagar refinery running for India's domestic market.
Why does this matter?
Reliance's move helps soften the blow as India expects its overall Russian oil imports to drop sharply—from 1.9 million barrels a day in November to just 800,000 to 1.5 million soon.
The company had stopped buying after the US crackdown in October and only got a brief exemption until mid-December.
Now, with these new imports, Reliance is helping fill that supply gap.
Quick background on Jamnagar's operations
Jamnagar isn't just big—it's split between units for export and domestic use.
The export side hasn't seen Russian crude since late November; since then, all incoming shipments have gone straight to the domestic unit.
Since late November, Reliance has received around 15 Rosneft cargoes, with Russian oil processed at the domestic-focused unit after November 20.