India’s major state-refiner, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), has purchased approximately 2 million barrels of Upper Zakum crude from Abu Dhabi for loading in December, according to trade sources.
This procurement comes as BPCL reshapes its supply strategy in response to recent US sanctions targeting Russia’s top oil producers.
Historically, BPCL sourced the bulk of its spot market crude—around 14.66 million barrels monthly (≈ 2 million metric tonnes)—from Russian grades.
Going forward, BPCL plans to maintain roughly 50% of its spot supply from non-sanctioned Russian entities and fill the remainder with non-Russian alternatives, as demonstrated by this Abu Dhabi purchase.
The move underscores BPCL’s proactive pivot amid geopolitical shifts and supply-chain pressures, signalling heightened sourcing flexibility for the company.
