India’s shipping ministry has granted special permission to four ships carrying Iranian oil to berth at Sikka port in western India at the request of Reliance Industries, three industry sources said.
India’s oil ministry, shipping ministry and Reliance did not respond to Reuters emails seeking comment.
Iranian oil is often transported by so-called shadow fleets that lack internationally recognized insurance or safety certifications.
However, this requires special permission from the government, as Indian ship berthing rules require exemptions.
One of the sources said the shipping ministry had granted a one-time special exemption to a vessel requested by Reliance, the world’s largest refinery operator, due to the emergency situation caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
However, another source said it was not clear whether Reliance would process Iranian crude despite the grant of permission as it wants to ensure the deal is sanctions compliant and in line with Indian rules.
India, the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer, has not received cargo from Tehran since May 2019 due to pressure from the United States not to buy Iranian crude. However, the United States last month temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian oil purchases by sea to ease oil prices.
The exemption expires on April 19th.
Ship tracking data shows that the country’s largest refiner, Indian Oil Corp., bought Iranian crude oil carried on the sanctions tanker Jaya.
(Reporting by Nidhi Verma; Editing by David Holmes)
