According to LSEG data, Saudi Arabia and India became the main export destinations of Russian fuel oil and vacuum gas oil (VG) in July. Shipments to Saudi Arabia totaled about 1.1 million tons, which is comparable to June. Most of the volumes are used for power plants, which traditionally burn oil and fuel oil with a high sulfur content during the summer peak of energy consumption. Shipments to India increased by 65%, reaching 0.6 million tons. Indian refineries purchase Russian fuel oil and LNG as a cheaper alternative to Urals crude oil. At the same time, Russian oil imports to the country decreased by about a quarter in July due to reduced discounts and reduced purchases by a number of refiners. After the EU embargo imposed in 2023, the Middle East and Asia remain the key markets for Russian dark oil products.
