Sinopec’s pivot to Russian crude squeezes Middle East producers and redraws oil power
China’s refining giant Sinopec is boosting purchases of Russian oil to offset supply cuts from the Middle East, according to traders and tanker tracking data. The shift gives Moscow a deeper foothold in Asia’s top market while chipping away at Gulf producers’ leverage and complicating Western sanctions strategy. Readers will learn how trade flows are changing, who gains, who loses, and why a routing decision in Beijing matters from Riyadh to Washington.
China’s biggest refiner is quietly redrawing the world’s oil map. Sinopec has increased imports of Russian crude to make up for tighter supplies from the Middle East, traders and tanker-tracking data indicate, giving Moscow a firmer grip on Asia’s largest energy market and dialing up competitive pressure on Gulf exporters. The move reflects a hard-headed calculation in Beijing. Middle East supply cuts—driven by a mix of voluntary reductions, infrastructure constraints, and war-related disruptions—have made some traditional grades both scarcer and pricier. Russian barrels, by contrast, remain plentiful and discounted as Moscow courts buyers willing to look past—or at least around—Western sanctions. For Sinopec, which must keep China’s vast refining system…
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