Russian Firms Approach Indian Refiners For Gasoline After Ukrainian Attacks

Major Russian energy companies have reportedly approached Indian refiners seeking additional gasoline supplies after Ukrainian attacks significantly disrupted Russia's domestic refining capacity, according to a Reuters report citing sources familiar with the matter. The development marks an unusual shift in the energy relationship between the two countries, as India has primarily been one of the largest buyers of Russian seaborne crude oil rather than a supplier of refined fuel. The reported request comes as Russia faces one of its most severe gasoline shortages in recent years.

According to the sources, companies including Rosneft, Gazprom Neft and Lukoil have contacted both private and state-owned Indian refiners regarding potential gasoline purchases. At least one cargo of Indian gasoline has already been shipped to Russia, while additional consignments are expected if commercial agreements are finalised. One source indicated that nearly 40 percent of Russia's refining capacity may remain offline for at least two months, provided there are no further attacks on energy infrastructure.

Sources at three Indian state-owned refiners told Reuters they had received enquiries from Russian companies but currently have no surplus gasoline available for export. Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Russia's Energy Ministry and the Russian companies named in the report also had not publicly commented on the matter at the time of publication.

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India's Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had earlier stated that Indian companies were not directly selling fuel to Russia, although he acknowledged that Russian buyers could obtain Indian-origin fuel through international traders. According to the Reuters report, any future supplies are expected to be routed through trading firms and could involve ship-to-ship transfers rather than direct deliveries between Indian refiners and Russian companies.

Ship-tracking data cited in the report indicated that tanker Agni, carrying approximately 42,000 metric tonnes of gasoline from Nayara Energy's Vadinar refinery, transferred its cargo to another vessel near Egypt before the shipment continued towards Russia. Another tanker, Varg, is also reportedly transporting gasoline from the same refinery and is expected to conduct a similar transfer near the Suez region before proceeding onward. These transfers are commonly used in international energy trade to facilitate logistics and commercial arrangements.

Nayara Energy denied selling fuel directly to Russian companies, stating that it has neither sold nor intends to sell fuel to Russian entities. The company reiterated that its priority remains meeting domestic fuel demand across India through its extensive retail network and bulk supply channels. The reported developments underscore the evolving impact of the conflict on global energy markets, with disruptions to Russia's refining infrastructure reshaping fuel trade flows and creating new dynamics in international petroleum supply chains.

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