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Energy · Asia

Middle East crude imports to India reach highest level since February

Swarajya reported that Indian refiners imported about 2.8 million barrels per day of Middle Eastern crude in September, the region’s highest monthly level since February. The region made up about 54 per cent of India’s crude imports, while Russian crude imports fell to about 1.8 million barrels per day.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 4 independent reports from 5 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 4 reportsHow it's made

View timeline · 6 entries
5 outletsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Mostly CenterL 0 · C 4 · R 1
Updat3 graphic: India
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • Russian crude imports fell around 14 per cent month-on-month to 1.8 million barrels per day in September (per swarajyamag.com).
  • India’s overall crude imports rose 20 per cent from August to approximately 5.33 million barrels per day in September (per swarajyamag.com).
  • Iraqi crude imports rose to around 830,000 barrels per day in September from 171,000 barrels per day in August (per swarajyamag.com).

The brief

Indian refiners brought Middle Eastern crude imports to around 2.8 million barrels per day in September, the highest monthly level since February, according to Swarajya. The Hindu, Business Standard, Reuters and TradingView likewise described India’s West Asia or Middle East imports as reaching pre-war levels that month.

Those headlines do not provide additional import figures or detail on the market changes. The Middle East supplied approximately 54 per cent of India’s total crude imports in September, up from 32 per cent in August, Swarajya reported. India’s overall crude imports increased 20 per cent month on month to about 5.33 million barrels per day.

The account therefore describes both a larger total volume and a higher share from the Middle East in September. The change also coincided with a decline in Russian crude purchases. Swarajya said imports from Russia dropped around 14 per cent from August to 1.8 million barrels per day in September.

Russia’s share of India’s crude purchases fell from 46.6 per cent to 33.5 per cent over the same comparison. Business Standard’s headline also flags a fall in Russian crude, without specifying a figure.

Iraqi crude accounted for a marked increase within the regional supply: imports reached around 830,000 barrels per day in September, compared with 171,000 barrels per day in August, according to Swarajya. The outlet attributed the broader increase in Middle Eastern shipments to producers and traders raising deliveries after supply disruptions connected with the Iran war.

Swarajya said India had earlier increased Russian crude purchases to compensate for reduced Middle Eastern supplies after the conflict began. Its account thus describes a shift in the mix of imports: Russian volumes and share declined as Middle Eastern volumes rose.

The Hindu, Reuters and TradingView headlines characterize the September level as a return to pre-war levels, but do not state how the earlier supply reductions occurred. An Indian refining source told Swarajya that Russian crude premiums had declined to $1–$2 per barrel against Brent, from more than $10 in recent months.

The account does not specify the timing of that price change beyond the comparison with recent months, or say how the premium affected purchasing decisions. It presents the price movement alongside the September import figures without stating that one caused the other.

Why it matters

  • Indian refiners’ sourcing mix shifted: Middle Eastern crude made up about 54 per cent of imports in September, while Russia’s share fell to 33.5 per cent.
  • The reported increase in Iraqi crude deliveries—from 171,000 to 830,000 barrels per day—was a substantial part of the regional import change.
  • India’s total crude imports rose 20 per cent month on month to approximately 5.33 million barrels per day, alongside the return of Middle Eastern imports to pre-war levels.

What to watch next

  • Whether Middle Eastern crude continues to account for a larger share of India’s imports than the 32 per cent recorded in August.
  • Whether Russian crude imports remain below the September level of 1.8 million barrels per day.
  • Whether Iraqi crude deliveries stay near or above the September level of around 830,000 barrels per day.
  • Whether Russian crude premiums against Brent remain near the $1–$2 per barrel level cited by the Indian refining source.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 5 unique outlets · 4 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Mostly Center· 4 Center · 1 Right
Where the outlets are based: Asia 40% · Global 40% · Other 20%
Outlet political mix
Mostly Center
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
4 outlets
1 outlet
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
5 unique outletsDominant coverage: Asia
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among Center-rated outlets (4 of 5 rated sources); comparatively few Left-rated outlets have published on the event.
How we measure coverage

One source is from a wire service (AP, Reuters, AFP or Bloomberg), whose reporting other outlets often republish.

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, established by the Baghdad Conference in September 1960, became a central influence on production policy among major oil exporters.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement and restore sanctions on Iran.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. After US waivers for major purchasers expired in May 2019, Indian refiners stopped importing Iranian oil.
    Background · from our historical context
  4. Russia became a much larger supplier after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
    Background · from our historical context
  5. The European Union’s ban on seaborne Russian crude imports took effect, as the G7, EU and Australia imposed a price cap on Russian oil.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  6. The United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes across Iran, beginning the ongoing war.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian power plants, air defenses and military infrastructure; the war that began with those strikes was ongoing by October 22, 2026. On May 8, 2018, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement and restore sanctions on Iran.

After US waivers for major purchasers expired in May 2019, Indian refiners stopped importing Iranian oil. That removed a significant source of crude for India and left purchases more exposed to shifts in sanctions policy. Russia became a much larger supplier after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Original sources

2 of 5 articles · Asia · Show all

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