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China's Hengli uses additional import quota to buy Mideast oil from Overall, traders state

Private Chinese refiner Hengli Petrochemical has actually bought Middle East crude, 6 traders acquainted with the matter stated, mostly from TotalEnergies after the French major accumulated a big volume of the oil and as Iranian supply to China has actually tightened.

The purchases follow Hengli receiving an extra crude import quota of 2 million lots (14.6 million barrels) that can be used in 2024 and 2025.

In late November, Hengli Petrochemical purchased about 12 million barrels of Middle East crude from Totsa, the trading arm of TotalEnergies, along with from PetroChina and Aramco Trading Co, according to some of the traders familiar with the transactions.

The barrels, that include grades such as Qatari al-Shaheen, Iraqi Basrah Medium and Upper Zakum from the United Arab Emirates, are to pack in December and January, said the traders, who decreased to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Iranian unrefined supply to China has fallen because October, narrowing discount rates for the approved oil to their tightest in about five years, pressing some independent refiners to switch back to more expensive non-Iranian Middle Eastern oil regardless of their struggle with weak margins, traders stated.

The downturn comes ahead of expectations that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will ramp up enforcement of sanctions on Tehran when he goes back to office in January and further capture Iranian oil exports, which represent more than 10% of crude purchases by China, the world's biggest oil purchaser.

A Dalian-based Hengli executive in charge of crude oil procurement and planning verified the refiner stepped up buying of Middle Eastern cargoes thanks to its additional quota and attractive rates, however denied it has actually previously bought crude from Iran.

We recently got new quota and the marketplace happens to be in our favour, so we bought some freights that have great worth for cash, the executive said, decreasing to be named as he is not authorised to speak with media.

Linking Hengli's current purchases to lower Iranian products is pure speculation, the Hengli executive stated.

Reuters reported in July that Hengli became a buyer of Iranian oil previously this year, with a senior trading source close to the firm stating it had bought 4 million barrels a month throughout the very first couple of months of the year. Another senior trading source near to Hengli put the volumes at 4 million to 6 million barrels a month.

Information analytics firm Vortexa stated at the time that Hengli was a buyer of Iranian crude shipments, based upon its tanker tracking information and analysis.

OVERALL SALES

Hengli's purchases are helping to reduce excess supply held by Totsa after it went on its uncommonly passionate two-month buying spree on the S&P Global Platts price assessment procedure called the window, the traders stated.

TotalEnergies was the leading purchaser on the Platts window for December- and January-loading Middle East oil cargoes, snapping up a total 23.5 million barrels, trade information evaluated revealed. Its last prior window purchases were in June, amounting to 4 million barrels of August-loading crude, the data revealed.

Traders stated they think Totsa still holds a number of million barrels after its current buys.

TotalEnergies did not respond to an ask for remark.

IRAN OIL

Last week, Washington designated more vessels and entities for involvement in helping with Iranian oil trade following a. comparable relocation in October.

Among the vessels, huge unrefined carrier (VLCC) Phonix,. has actually been anchored because last week outside Rizhao Port in China's. independent refining hub of Shandong province, LSEG. ship-tracking information programs.

Late in 2019, Chinese independent teapot refiners stepped. in as essential buyers of affordable Iranian crude, filling a vacuum. left by Chinese state oil companies wary of U.S. sanctions, saving. billions of dollars on the country's oil import costs and. sealing China's status as Tehran's leading crude market.

Chinese banks have recently refused to help with payments. for purchases of Iranian oil as the variety of sanctioned vessels. is increasing, said 3 different traders who deal in Iranian. crude.

It becomes increasingly more hard now as even if you. moved oil from a sanctioned tanker to a non-sanctioned. vessel, the latter would soon run the risk of being put on the sanction. list, stated one of the three traders.

(source: Reuters)