Reliance Halts Russian Crude at SEZ Refinery to Comply with EU Sanctions.
Reliance Industries Ltd announced on Thursday that it has stopped using Russian crude at its export-only refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in a move to comply with European Union sanctions. The SEZ refinery, which supplies fuels like petrol and diesel to the EU, the US, and other international markets, will now process only non-Russian crude from December 1.
A company spokesperson said, “We have stopped importing Russian crude oil into our SEZ refinery with effect from November 20. The transition has been completed ahead of schedule to ensure full compliance with product-import restrictions coming into force in January 2026.” Existing inventory of Russian crude is being processed, but all future exports from the SEZ unit will use non-Russian oil.
The decision follows wide-ranging sanctions by the EU, the US, and the UK targeting Russian energy revenues. The EU has specifically barred the import of fuels refined from Russian crude starting January 2026. Reliance, India’s largest buyer of Russian oil, has also been adjusting its refinery operations since US sanctions were imposed on Russia’s top oil firms, Rosneft and Lukoil, last month.
Reliance’s Jamnagar complex, the world’s largest single-site refinery, had previously imported about half of the discounted Russian crude shipped to India—approximately 1.2 million barrels per day from Rosneft and Lukoil in 2025. The company has been recalibrating its imports to meet compliance requirements while continuing domestic operations.
“All pre-committed shipments of Russian crude as of October 22, 2025, are being honoured. Any cargo arriving on or after November 20 will be processed at our domestic refinery,” the firm said. Reliance, which has signed a 25-year deal to buy up to 500,000 barrels per day from Rosneft, has scaled back imports following sanctions to avoid regulatory scrutiny, particularly in markets such as the US and Europe.
Russia currently supplies nearly a third of India’s crude imports, with private refiners like Reliance and Nayara Energy taking the bulk. The SEZ refinery move ensures Reliance remains compliant with international restrictions while maintaining its global fuel export operations.
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