Indian Refiner BPCL Buys U.S. WTI Crude Oil Cargo

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), one of India's largest state-owned refiners, acquired 1 million barrels of U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil on Tuesday, according to trade sources. The purchase comes as India seeks to secure cheaper cargoes amid easing freight rates, which had reached record highs at the beginning of October.

BPCL procured the cargo for delivery in Mumbai between late December and early January, paying a premium of approximately $18 per barrel over Dated Brent, based on Reuters sources.

In a recent move, BPCL announced its intention to decrease crude oil purchases from Russia in November due to high freight costs and premiums for Russia's crude oil, making Middle Eastern offers more attractive. BPCL's finance head, Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta, mentioned that the refiner will buy smaller volumes of Russian crude in November, as Middle Eastern grades are now commercially more appealing.

Russian crude oil constituted 37% of BPCL's crude supplies in the July-September quarter, as per Gupta. However, the November purchases of Russian cargoes will be significantly reduced due to higher shipping costs.

India's crude sourcing strategy aligns with the prevailing trend of reducing imports of Russian crude oil due to its higher costs compared to Middle Eastern cargoes, which have become more accessible with increased flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, eased freight rates in the past two weeks have encouraged Asian crude oil buyers, particularly Chinese refiners, to target cargoes from Brazil and West Africa.

Although freight rates have eased from their record highs at the beginning of October, they remain around $60 million for a supertanker carrying oil from the U.S. to Asia in mid-October, a cost that deterred Asian refiners from ordering substantial crude from the U.S. for November delivery.