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Turkey’s largest oil refineries have begun buying more non-Russian crude in response to the latest Western sanctions against Moscow, Reuters reports, citing two people directly familiar with the matter and several industry sources, UATV English informed.
Turkey is one of the main buyers of Russian oil, along with China and India. The shift by Turkish refineries mirrors similar moves in India, reflecting the impact of U.S., EU, and U.K. efforts to curb sales of Russian oil.
One of Turkey’s biggest refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijan’s SOCAR, recently purchased four cargoes of oil from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian producers for December delivery, according to sources.
Reuters estimates these non-Russian supplies at 77,000–129,000 barrels per day, meaning STAR will now rely less on Russian crude.
According to Kpler data, Russian oil accounted for nearly all supplies to the STAR refinery in September and October — about 210,000 barrels per day.
Another major Turkish refiner, Tupras, is increasing purchases of non-Russian grades similar in quality to Russia’s Urals, such as Iraqi blends, two sources said.
Tupras, which operates two major refineries in Turkey, is expected to fully stop importing Russian oil at one of them in order to maintain fuel exports to Europe without violating new EU sanctions, according to the same sources. The company will, however, continue processing Russian crude at its other plant.
Earlier, the United States expressed readiness to sell more oil and natural gas to China, while several Chinese state oil giants suspended seaborne imports of Russian crude after U.S. sanctions targeted Rosneft, Lukoil, and their clients.
