India is set to receive its first oil from Iran in seven years this week, after the U.S. temporarily removed sanctions on Iranian oil and refined products to ease supply shortages, ship tracking data from LSEG and Kpler showed on Wednesday.
The cargo on the Curacao-flagged very large crude carrier Jaya was purchased by state-run Indian Oil Corp.NS and is heading to India’s east coast, the data showed.
Indian Oil, the country’s top refiner, did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment.
The vessel carrying Iranian oil initially went to South East Asian waters for discharge in China before heading to India, LSEG ship tracking shows.
LSEG data shows another carrier Jordan is signalling India as its discharge location.
India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer, has not received a cargo from Tehran since May 2019, following U.S. pressure not to buy Iranian crude, but supply disruptions from the U.S.-Israel war have hit the South Asian nation hard.
India’s oil ministry last week said that refiners have purchased Iranian oil amid the Middle East conflict that has disrupted supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
The ministry also said last week that refiners are not facing any problems with payments for Iranian oil purchases.