Data from sources shows that India's imports of oil from Russia, Latin America and the Middle East fell in the?April to June quarter due to the restricted flow through the Strait of Hormuz after the?U.S./Israeli attack against Iran.

India, which had begun cutting Russian?oil?imports in order to avoid higher U.S. duties, increased supplies after a temporary Washington exemption to compensate for the shortfall caused by the Gulf blockade.

The data shows that India's oil imports, which include Russia, from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) fell by 27% between April and June, the first quarter of the fiscal year.

The data revealed that India's Russian crude oil imports surged last month to a new record of 2,64?million barrels per day (bpd), up 37.4% since May. This accounted for nearly half of India's total 5.24 million bpd.

INDIA'S IMPORT MIX - RUSSIAN?OIL GETS A LARGER SHARE

Before the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman was "the main transit route" for a fifth of all global oil supplies.

The data shows that Indian refiners increased imports of heavier grades from Brazil, Venezuela, and Angola during the quarter.

Data showed that the share of Russian oil among India's total imports from April to June rose from 38% to almost 41%, while the Middle East fell to 31%, from 41.4%.

Sources at Indian refiners say that the dependence of Indian refineries on oil imports will increase if the Strait continues to be?paralysed' and Yemen's Iran aligned Houthis impose an naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.

The data shows that India, the world's third largest oil importer and user, imported 403,000 barrels per day of oil in June from Saudi Arabia, mostly through the Yanbu port.

Since a fragile ceasefire?between Washington, D.C. and Tehran was broken in early July and heavy strikes were exchanged again, tensions have increased. This has further disrupted shipping along the waterway.

Sources said that importing 'Saudi oil via a longer shipping path - the Cape of Good Hope - would be more expensive.

Sources said that Indian refiners continued to depend on Moscow for supplies, and bought from entities not sanctioned by Washington after Washington retracted the temporary waiver of Russian oil sanctions.

(source: Reuters)