India’s imports of crude oil from the US rose sharply by nearly 34% on a month-on-month basis in April as the country ramped up shipments from America.
India imported 326,000 barrels per day of crude oil from the US in April, according to data from energy analytics company Vortexa.
Data also showed that India had only imported 170,706 barrels per day of crude oil during the same month last year.
“I see push and pull factors for India’s imports of US crude in the months ahead,” Ivan Mathews, head of APAC analysis at Vortexa, told Invezz.
India’s oil strategy
India’s increased oil imports from the US reflect New Delhi’s strategy to reduce trade imbalances with Washington, particularly in response to the Trump administration’s global tariffs.
US President Donald Trump aims to boost American oil and gas exports, recognising India’s significant position as a leading global importer of these resources, thus presenting a highly profitable market opportunity.
This strategy aligns with a broader objective of enhancing the US energy independence and global influence through energy dominance.
Beyond conveying goodwill to Washington amid ongoing trade disputes, India’s augmented crude oil procurement from the US serves a strategic purpose in diversifying its energy import portfolio.
This diversification mitigates India’s historical over-dependence on oil-producing nations in the politically volatile West Asia, thereby enhancing its energy security and providing greater leverage in international energy markets.
India’s decision to increase energy imports from the US may lead to higher US crude oil shipments to India, according to Mathews.
Higher US imports are likely to be offset
However, this increase is expected to be balanced by reduced import volumes typically observed during the second and third quarters due to refinery maintenance in India, he said.
Indian refineries are equipped with residue upgradation units like RFCCs (Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking), HDCs (hydrocarbon), and cokers, enabling them to process predominantly middle-heavy crudes, particularly those sourced from the Middle East.
“If India imports more WTI, which is light-sweet, assuming other factors remain constant, they could balance this by importing more heavy crude,” Mathews added.
On the other hand, if residue upgrade units are down due to maintenance, refiners could import more light crude to increase yields of light and middle distillates over fuel oil in the CDU.
Meanwhile, Russia continued to remain India’s biggest supplier of crude oil in April.
Overall imports
However, shipments from Russia fell in April both on a month-on-month basis and yearly basis.
Imports from Russia (excluding CPC and KEBCO) were 1.53 million barrels per day last month compared with 1.69 million barrels a day in March, Vortexa data showed.
Last year, imports in April were 1.82 million barrels a day from Russia.
Russia was the top supplier, while Iraq firmly held the second spot with consistent Basrah volumes, trailed by Saudi Arabia.
Imports from Iraq rose in April to 864,330 barrels a day compared with 818,040 barrels per day in the previous month, Vortexa data showed. Imports were also higher than 843,894 barrels per day in April last year.
Meanwhile, oil imports from Saudi Arabia fell to 470,608 barrels per day in April against 626,453 barrels per day in the previous month.
Saudi Arabia had exported 618,993 barrels per day of crude oil to India in the corresponding period last year, according to Vortexa.
Overall, India imported 4.52 million barrels of crude oil per day in April compared with 4.69 million barrels a day during the same month in 2024.
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