Oil Tankers Bound for China Make Sudden U-Turn Towards India Amid Global Market Turmoil

International Desk: Nazrana Times 
Amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, global oil markets are witnessing significant volatility. In a surprising development, at least seven oil tankers carrying Russian crude oil—originally destined for China—have abruptly changed course in the South China Sea and are now heading towards India at full speed.
This unexpected move has dealt a setback to China, especially as India has significantly increased its imports of Russian oil in recent times.
According to ship-tracking data, the Russian tanker Aqua Titan, which was initially en route to Rizhao port in China, took a U-turn in Southeast Asian waters. It is now expected to arrive at New Mangalore Port in Karnataka on March 21. The tanker is carrying Russia’s Urals crude oil.
Notably, the United States has recently given India temporary approval to boost oil imports from Russia in order to offset shortages caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In just the past week, Indian refineries have purchased nearly 30 million barrels of crude oil from Russia.
The ongoing Iran-Israel conflict has disrupted oil supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting India to strengthen its energy security by increasing reliance on Russian oil.
Until now, China had been the largest buyer of Russian crude. However, the sudden diversion of tankers indicates that India is emerging as a priority market for Russia. Experts suggest that better pricing and easier payment mechanisms offered by Indian companies may have influenced this shift.
Apart from Aqua Titan, another large tanker named Zhu Zhu N has also altered its route from China and is now heading towards Sikka Port in Gujarat.