Nayara Energy trade: Russia-backed refinery exports first gasoline shipment after EU sanctions; diesel shipment to follow

Amid tightening international scrutiny, Russian-linked Indian refiner Nayara Energy has exported its first gasoline shipment since the European Union imposed sanctions on the company on July 18, Reuters reported citing four sources and LSEG data.According to shipping sources and LSEG data, the vessel Tempest Dream departed on Monday with around 43,000 metric tons (over 363,000 barrels) of gasoline and is en route to Sohar in Oman. The tanker itself had been sanctioned earlier by the UK in June. The identity of the buyer remains unconfirmed.A second EU-sanctioned vessel, Sard, is currently docked at Nayara’s Vadinar port in western India and is expected to lift a similar quantity of diesel, sources said.The shipments come amid operational challenges at Nayara’s 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery, which has scaled back crude processing after difficulties in sourcing ships and marketing fuel from the sanctioned port, Reuters reported earlier.To counter export constraints, Nayara — which operates over 6,600 fuel outlets across India — has turned to domestic sales through state-owned fuel retailers, industry officials said. In a recent move, the company used the vessel Leruo to transfer 43,000 tons of diesel to Mundra port, according to trade sources and ship-tracking firm Kpler.Both Leruo and Sard are among the vessels blacklisted by the EU in recent months.Nayara Energy is backed by Russia’s Rosneft and a consortium of global investors.