China facing stiff competition for its favourite Russian oil from India

India has ramped up purchases of crude from Russia’s far east, a grade that’s typically favored by Chinese oil refiners.

Four vessels hauling Russian ESPO oil are making their way to India, with two tankers heading for Paradip port on the east coast, where a refinery operated by Indian Oil Corp. is located, according to shipbrokers and data compiled by Bloomberg. That compares with three vessels in June and one in April, said Emma Li, an analyst at Vortexa in Singapore.

State-owned Indian Oil didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.