Reliance Halts Use of Russian Crude at Export-Only Jamnagar Refinery to Comply With EU Sanctions
Reliance Industries Ltd has announced that it has halted the processing of Russian crude oil at its Special Economic Zone (SEZ) refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in order to comply with new European Union sanctions. The SEZ unit, which exports fuels like petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel to markets including Europe and the United States, stopped importing Russian crude from November 20, the company confirmed on Thursday.
The decision comes as the EU prepares to enforce restrictions from January 2026 on the import of refined products made from Russian crude, following the latest sanctions from the US and UK that target Russia’s major oil exporters such as Rosneft and Lukoil. Reliance, India’s biggest private refiner and the largest buyer of Russian oil, said that once existing inventories of Russian crude are exhausted, all exports from the SEZ refinery from December 1 onward will be produced using non-Russian oil.
Reliance had been a major beneficiary of discounted Russian crude since the start of the Ukraine war, purchasing an estimated USD 35 billion worth since February 2022. However, the company faces increasing scrutiny due to its global business interests, particularly in the US and Europe. The firm is now shifting its sourcing strategy to alternative regions as the sanctions deadline approaches, even as Russia continues to supply nearly one-third of India’s crude imports.
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