由於付款問題，俄羅斯石油貨品離開印度

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Russian Oil Cargoes Head Away From India Amid Payment Issues

Rakesh Sharma

Mon, January 1, 2024 at 10:44 p.m. PST

(Bloomberg) -- A number of vessels hauling crude from Russia that had been idling off India are now headed away from the country eastwards, amid concerns over oil payments to Moscow that spurred a slump in arrivals last month.

Five ships all carrying Sokol oil from Russia’s Far East — the NS Commander, Sakhalin Island, Krymsk, Nellis, and Liteyny Prospect — are moving toward the Malacca Strait at 7 to 10 knots, according to vessel-tracking data. A sixth also holding Sokol — the NS Century — is still close to Sri Lanka.

“China seems to have stepped in to save the idling Sokol cargoes,” said Viktor Katona, lead crude analyst at data intelligence provider Kpler.

India’s oil imports from Russia — a vital outlet for Moscow amid the war in Ukraine — fell in December to their lowest since January 2023, with local refiners not receiving a single Sokol cargo due to payment issues, according to Kpler.

The US and its allies have imposed sanctions on entities deemed to have breached the $60-a-barrel cap on Russian crude exports, which came into effect late in 2022. Last month, a senior Treasury official said enforcement would be ramped up.

The NS Century — which hauls about 700,000 barrels — was sanctioned by the US Treasury last year. Four of the other vessels carry similar volumes, while the fifth, the Nellis, can hold twice as much. Most of the ships are owned by Russia’s state-backed shipping company, Sovcomflot PJSC.

Translation

（彭博）—由於在向莫斯科支付石油費用上有憂慮, 一些原本在印度閒置等待的從俄羅斯運輸原油的船隻現在正駛離該國向東航行導, 亦致上個月抵達印度的船隻數量銳減。

根據船隻追蹤數據，五艘從俄羅斯遠東地區運送索科爾石油的船隻 - NS Commander號、Sakhalin Island號、Krymsk號、Nellis號和Liteyny Prospect號 - 正以7至10節的速度駛向馬六甲海峽。 第六艘也載有索科爾石油 - NS Century號 - 仍然靠近斯里蘭卡。

數據情報提供商 Kpler 首席原油分析師 Viktor Katona 表示： “中國似乎已介入拯救閒置的索科爾石油。”

Kpler 表示，印度從俄羅斯（烏克蘭戰爭期間莫斯科的重要出口）的石油進口量在 12 月降至 2023 年 1 月以來的最低水平，當地煉油廠由於付款問題而沒有收到任何索科爾石油。

美國及其盟國已對被認為違反俄羅斯原油出口每桶 60 美元上限的實體去實施制裁，該制裁於 2022 年底生效。上個月，財政部一位高級官員表示將加強執法力度。

NS Century 號運載約 70 萬桶石油，去年受到美國財政部的製裁。 其他四艘船的容量相似，而第五艘「Nellis 號」的容量是其兩倍。 大多數船舶由俄羅斯國家支持的航運公司 Sovcomflot PJSC 擁有。

So, because of concerns over oil payments to Moscow, some vessels hauling crude from Russia are leaving India. Previously, concerns over oil payments to Moscow by India probably was about the currency to be used for payment. India insists to pay by Rupee, India’s official currency. I am wondering whether this will impact Russia’s ability to find money to continue with its war in Ukraine.