Fleet of Russian oil tankers builds up off China coast as India pulls back

File photo used for representation

A fleet of tankers laden with Russia’s flagship Urals oil has expanded off China’s east coast after India — the biggest buyer of the grade — curbed purchases following Western sanctions.

At least five vessels carrying about 3.4 million barrels were idling in the Yellow Sea as of Wednesday, double the volume of last week and the highest level for the grade in that region in more than five years, according to Kpler. The area is close to Shandong province, a hub for independent oil refiners.

The pile-up of Urals off China is a unique situation that’s attracted the attention of oil traders worldwide. That’s because Chinese refiners aren’t typical buyers of the grade loaded at distant western ports, preferring Russian crude from eastern terminals due to the close proximity and diesel-rich quality.

Over past weeks, however, increased US scrutiny of Russia-to-India crude flows as well as sanctions on Rosneft PJSC and Lukoil PJSC have prompted sellers of Urals to seek out other willing takers across East Asia. This month, India’s imports are expected to be 800,000 barrels a day, according to local officials, dwindling from this year’s peak of 2 million barrels a day in June.

At this stage, it’s not clear if the Urals being amassed off China have already been sold, or whether they’re still being actively marketed. Tankers can make the long journey from Russia’s west without first securing a buyer, but the growing fleet could signal shifting trade.