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India resumes purchasing Russian Sokol oil after 2-month hiatus, sources state

India has resumed imports of Russian Sokol oil after a twomonth gap with at least 2 refiners up until now taking deliveries of the light sweet crude in February, 4 trade sources stated and ship tracking data revealed.

India's Hindustan Petroleum Corp has purchased Sokol oil from a trader, the sources said. HPCL is most likely to spend for the oil in UAE dirhams, 3 of them added.

Indian state refiners needed to stop purchasing the grade in 2015 after the federal government advised them versus using Chinese yuan to spend for Russian oil amid stretched relations in between New Delhi and Beijing.

That resulted in more than 10 million barrels of unsold Sokol drifting in seaborne storages in among the greatest disruptions to Russian oil trade because the West imposed sanctions on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine.

India did not receive Sokol oil in December and January, data from trade sources and the ship tracking data shows.

The vessel Seagull, bring about 95,000 metric lots of Sokol, discharged at India's western Mumbai port on Feb. 13, the LSEG ship tracking information shows.

HPCL seldom purchased Sokol in the past. It previously bought the grade for delivery at Mumbai in August, according to the LSEG data.

HPCL did not right away respond to an ask for comment.

In February, personal refiner Nayara Energy, majority-owned by Russian entities consisting of oil significant Rosneft, also took a shipment of Sokol oil, the data programs.

LSEG information also shows that three vessels carrying Sokol oil - NS Lion, NS Antarctic and Raven - are anticipated to get to the eastern ports of Paradip and Visakhapatnam later this month.

The sources said Russia would look at offering Sokol oil through trading firms to lower surplus floating stocks in the Pacific. Selling via a trader will help Russia get consistent payments, though that will reduce discount rates for the purchaser, they stated.

Sokol oil is exported by Sakhalin-1 LLC, a subsidiary of Russian oil giant Rosneft, which is likewise a seller of the grade.

Rosneft did not instantly react to a request for remark.

Indian Oil Corp, the nation's top refiner, was one of the key purchasers of Sokol oil under its annual contract with Rosneft.

Since Sakhalin 1 LLC has, it had to stop purchasing the grade been not able to open an account with a bank in the UAE to accept dirham payments.

Earlier this month, China took 2 freights of Sokol oil, LSEG and Kpler information revealed and traders said.

(source: Reuters)