Our Bureau
New Delhi
India denies any information about a Russian oil tanker that reportedly changed course from China and is heading to its shores, a top government official made it clear on Wednesday.
The tanker, named Aqua Titan, was carrying Russian Urals crude oil loaded from a Baltic Sea port in late January. Ship-tracking data shows it first aimed for Rizhao port in China but turned around in the South China Sea last week. Reports say it is now set to reach New Mangalore port later this week.
Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, told an inter-ministerial meeting that authorities know nothing about such a ship coming to India. This comes days after Bloomberg reported the diversion, citing data from firms like Kpler and Vortexa. Some sources even claim up to seven such tankers have shifted to India due to high demand here.
India’s refiners have ramped up buys of cheap Russian oil this month. Imports jumped nearly 50% to about 1.5 million barrels per day in March from 1.04 million in February. This helps offset supply cuts from the Middle East, hit hard by the West Asia conflict and issues in the Strait of Hormuz.
The government says ports are running smooth with no congestion. Cargo from LPG ships like Shivalik and Nanda Devi is unloading on time, and extra space has been added at Visakhapatnam. India meets 88% of its oil needs through imports, so these moves boost energy security.
