Sanctioned Russian oil tanker reroutes to Vadinar after Adani port ban

A sanctioned Russian oil ship headed for Adani's Mundra port has changed course to Vadinar after the group barred blacklisted vessels, putting India's crude imports under fresh scrutiny

A sanctioned oil tanker carrying Russian crude has shifted course to India’s Vadinar port after Adani Group barred blacklisted vessels from entering its Mundra port, according to a report by Reuters.

 

What happened

 

• The ship Noble Walker, carrying about 1 million barrels of Russian crude for HPCL Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), was headed to Mundra until last week

• The tanker is blacklisted by the EU and the UK for moving Russian oil in violation of sanctions

• On September 11, Adani Group banned vessels sanctioned by the EU, the UK, and the US from docking at its 14 ports, including Mundra   

 

Why it matters

 

• India is now the largest buyer of seaborne Russian oil, filling the gap left by Western sanctions after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

• But New Delhi is under growing pressure from Western nations, particularly the US, to reduce its reliance on Russian supplies.

 

More vessels in focus

 

• Another sanctioned tanker, Spartan, was seen near Mundra on Monday, according to Bloomberg data from Kpler and Vortexa.

• Spartan is carrying at least 1 million barrels of Urals crude, meant for HMEL. It was sanctioned last year by the UK and the European Union (EU).

• An Adani spokesperson told Bloomberg that the ban was immediate but does not apply to ships already en route. Mundra handled around 180,000 barrels per day of Russian crude in the last eight months.   

 

Oil trade under Western scrutiny

 

• The US has been closely watching India’s Russian crude imports. US President Donald Trump has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including a 25 per cent penalty linked to Russian crude purchases.

• Trump is also urging G7 allies to slap tariffs of up to 100 per cent on India and China over oil trade with Moscow.

• Despite this, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India will keep buying Russian oil, stressing that energy policy is guided by national interest.

 

Adani Group in the spotlight

 

Adani Group is also facing scrutiny in the US. The Justice Department is reportedly investigating whether one of its entities imported Iranian liquefied petroleum gas, which could violate American sanctions.