Asia/Pacific
India asks refiners for weekly Russian oil import data as it seeks U.S. trade deal
India became the biggest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne crude following the 2022 outbreak of the Ukraine war. But those purchases have fueled a backlash from Western nations, which have targeted Russia's energy sector with sanctions, arguing that oil revenues help fund Moscow's war effort.
Indian Oil buys first Colombian oil under Ecopetrol contract
Indian refiners are scouting for crude as tighter U.S. and European Union sanctions on Moscow's producers and vessels are disrupting Russian oil imports.
China begins issuing second batch of 2026 crude import quotas to refiners
The newest allocation, combined with a small batch issued in late November, accounts for about 70% of the refiner's total quota for next year.
Five energy market trends to track in 2026, the year of the glut
This past year was a wild one for the oil and gas industry, punctuated by the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June, U.S. President Donald Trump's trade wars, the intensified targeting of energy infrastructure in Russia in its war against Ukraine, OPEC’s often perplexing production decisions and the recently threatened U.S. blockade of Venezuela.
Eneos plans to shut Marifu CDU in mid-January for maintenance
The refiner, a unit of Eneos Holdings, restarted the 172,100-bpd No. 2 CDU at its Kawasaki refinery near Tokyo on November 21 after it had been shut since August 16 for a planned turnaround.
China's 2026 first batch fuel export quotas steady year on year
China manages its refined fuel exports via a quota system to balance the supply-demand fundamentals in its local market.
Singapore fuel oil stockpiles rise to two-week high
Onshore fuel oil stockpiles in Singapore rose to a two-week high, as both imports and exports rose from the previous week.
Asia refinery 2025–2026 maintenance/outages
The table lists planned and unplanned refinery shutdowns for 2025 and 2026 compiled through a survey of Asian oil refiners and market sources.
Indonesia allocates 15.65 MM kiloliters of biodiesel for 2026
Of the total allocation, 7.45 MMkl have been earmarked for the public service obligation (PSO), which covers sectors such as public transportation and whose sales will be subsidized by the country's palm oil fund.
China's teapots boost Russian ESPO buying amid record discounts
Discounts for Russian ESPO Blend crude loading in January have widened to a record $7–$8 per barrel versus ICE Brent upon delivery in Chinese ports, as Western sanctions pressure weighs on the grade.
- Tasnee's Saudi Ethylene and Polyethylene Co. commences planned maintenance of ethylene plant 1/2
- Advanced Biofuels Canada Association welcomes federal biofuels production incentive coming into force 1/2
- Technip Energies completes acquisition of Ecovyst’s Advanced Materials & Catalysts business 1/2
- Peru opens state-owned Petroperu to private investment after reorganization 1/2
- Brazil's Petrobras cuts jet fuel prices by 9.4% 1/2
- Norway's new car sales were 96% electric in 2025 1/2
