Tightened U.S. sanctions on Moscow have disrupted a roaring trade in discounted Russian oil to China and India, reviving demand for Middle Eastern and African crudes, roiling shipping markets and driving up oil prices.

The Biden Administration’s farewell sanctions on Russian oil trade were the most aggressive yet and sanctioned dozens of vessels that Russia used to ship the ESPO crude blend from Kozmino to China’s independent refiners.

Russia may be forced to throttle back its oil output in the coming months as U.S. sanctions hamper its access to tankers to sail to Asia and Ukrainian drone attacks hobble its refineries. The United States imposed sanctions last month that targeted 180 Russian tankers while Kyiv has stepped up drone attacks to improve its bargaining position amid expectations that U.

India, the No. 2 importer of crude from Russia, wants to buy Russian oil only if it is supplied by companies and ships that have not been sanctioned by the United States, the country's oil secretary said.

Russia is facing the threat of a reduction in oil production due to US sanctions and Ukrainian drone attacks. Source: Reuters Details: Reuters noted that the US sanctions have complicated access to tankers supplying oil to Asia,

Russia's oil exports could be sustained if it finds workarounds to the latest U.S. sanctions package, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday, as it forecast that growth in global oil supply would outpace demand this year.

The latest US sanctions against Russia’s oil sector have led to the suspension of most Russian tankers. Source: Bloomberg Details: Currently, 94 out of 154 tankers sanctioned under the Biden administration have stopped transporting Russian oil.

The sanctions, which targeted Gazprom Neft, Surgutneftegaz, and 180 shadow fleet tankers, have created a surplus of oil in Russia that cannot be exported abroad. The ports of Ust-Luga, Primorsk on the Baltic and Novorossiysk on the Black Sea have seen a 17% drop in January export deliveries,

Tightened U.S. sanctions on Moscow have disrupted a roaring trade in discounted Russian oil to China and India, reviving demand for Middle Eastern and African crudes, roiling shipping markets and driving up oil prices.