Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) recently finalized the acquisition of 2 million barrels of Nigerian crude from Shell, specifically targeting Forcados and Bonga grades for its 300,000-barrel-per-day Visakh refinery in Andhra Pradesh. This purchase follows an earlier tender where HPCL secured an additional 2 million barrels of Okwuibome and Utapate crudes from Glencore to supply the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited facility.

Beyond Nigeria, the appetite for non-Middle Eastern oil is broad. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited recently tapped Mitsui & Co for 1 million barrels of Omani crude, while the Indian Oil Corporation—the nation’s largest refiner—contracted 4 million barrels of various grades from Angola and Congo through Chevron. These maneuvers highlight a strategic shift as Indian firms look toward suppliers in South America and West Africa to insulate themselves from the shipping disruptions that left July term supplies stranded.