Traders have
offered Iranian oil to Indian refiners at a premium to ICE Brent
after Washington temporary removed sanctions to ease the energy
crisis caused by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, three industry
sources said.
India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer,
has not received a cargo from Tehran since May 2019 after it
came under U.S. pressure not to buy Iranian crude.
But India has been hit hard by the disruption of energy
shipments via the Strait of Hormuz caused by the war on Iran,
which is now in its fourth week.
Its refiners have a month to maximise purchases of oil and
liquefied petroleum gas from Iran that is geographically close
to India, the sources said. Indian refiners have already bought
millions of barrels of Russian oil after the U.S. lifted
sanctions on it to try to curb the surge in oil prices.
Apart from a lack of oil, India faces a severe shortage of
LPG, primarily used for cooking.
PAYMENTS IN DOLLARS OR EVEN RUPEES
Traders and the National Iranian Oil Co are seeking payments
in dollars, the sources said, adding that some parties are even
willing to accept payments in Indian rupees.
The sources could not be named because they were not
authorised to speak to the media.
The current energy crisis is worse than the two oil shocks of
the 1970s put together, Fatih Birol, executive director of the
International Energy Agency, said on Monday.
The Trump administration on Friday issued a 30-day sanctions
waiver for the purchase of Iranian oil already at sea, U.S.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
The waiver applies to oil loaded on any vessel, including
tankers under sanctions, on or before March 20 and discharged by
April 19, according to the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Sources said Iranian oil has been offered at a premium of
$6-$8 per barrel over ICE Brent, with payment settled within
seven days of cargo arrival.
Indian refiners want to be sure about the payment mechanism
before signing any deal with NIOC as Iran is cut off from the
SWIFT payment system, they added.
Sujata Sharma, a joint secretary in the federal oil
ministry, told reporters at an energy conference, any decision
to buy Iranian fuel would be “a techno-commercial decision” on
the part of the oil companies.