Russia exported rare naphtha and fuel oil cargoes to Indonesia in September as it expands the pool of buyers for its oil products, LSEG data showed.

According to shipping data, tanker Marlin Hestia was loaded with 58,200 metric tons of naphtha in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk on September, 1. The cargo was discharged at Anyer Terminal (Java island) in Indonesia on October, 18.

Chandra Asri, which operates a petrochemical complex located in Banten, didn’t respond immediately to Reuters request to comment.

For the whole of 2023, Indonesia imported from Russia around 220,000 tons of naphtha, in three cargoes between May and June.

Another vessel – Yannis P – delivered in October to Indonesian Karimun port around 100,000 tons of fuel oil from the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga, shipping data shows.

The buyer of the cargoes is unknown.

In 2023, Indonesia imported directly from Russia only about 60,000 to 85,000 tons of fuel oil.

Since the European Union’s full embargo on Russian oil products went into effect in February 2023, the bulk of Russia’s naphtha and fuel oil was redirected to other regions, mostly Asia.

Though Indonesia did not join Western sanctions against Russia, the country usually imports oil products from nearest neighbours – Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore or United Arab Emirates.

In July 2024, Indonesian state-controlled refiner Pertamina added Russian oil grades to its tender lists to buy September crude for the first time for more than 10 years.

China, the main buyer of Russia’s fuel oil, might trim purchases amid new a tax initiative that would raise costs for Chinese refiners importing the fuel.

Source: Reuters reported by Reuters in Moscow, Fransiska Nangoy in Jakarta and Jeslyn Lerh in Singapore edited by Elaine Hardcastle