For Prelims: Strait of Hormuz, Crude oil, Energy security, Barrels per day
For Mains: Economy: Energy security and external trade; Geography: Major maritime routes and straits
Source:
Hindustan
5 facts for one-day exams
SSC, railway, police and teaching exams ask direct questions like these.
- India’s November-to-date Hormuz-route supply averaged 2.1 million barrels per day.
- India’s Russian crude imports averaged 1.8 million barrels per day in November so far.
- India’s Hormuz-route supply fell to 247,000 barrels per day in April.
- Four Gulf producers jointly exported 15.53 million barrels per day in October.
- The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
The news
For the first time since the Iran conflict began, India has bought more crude oil from Gulf nations than from Russia in November 2026. According to data from Kpler cited by Bloomberg, supplies through the Strait of Hormuz averaged 2.1 million barrels per day so far this month, while Russian imports fell to 1.8 million barrels per day. Indian refiners are returning to traditional Gulf suppliers as cheaper crude and improved maritime flows make the route viable again.
The shift follows a severe disruption in April, when Hormuz-route supplies to India plunged to just 247,000 barrels per day from 2.8 million barrels per day in February, after attacks on ships in the strait. The combined exports of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait recovered to 15.53 million barrels per day in October, close to their level at the start of the year. Russian seaborne exports, meanwhile, averaged 3.63 million barrels per day in the four weeks to 8 November, a decline of 40,000 barrels per day, partly due to Ukrainian attacks on Russian supply routes.
Why in the news?
Bloomberg reported on 12 November 2026 that India’s crude imports through the Strait of Hormuz have exceeded Russian supplies for the first time since the Iran conflict began, signalling a major shift in India’s oil sourcing strategy.
Why are Indian refiners switching back to Gulf oil?
Three factors explain the change. First, Middle Eastern producers are offering crude at lower prices. Second, longer sea routes and rising shipping costs have made Russian crude more expensive for Indian refiners. Third, tanker-to-tanker transfers outside the Strait of Hormuz have helped restore the flow of Gulf crude to customers, making the route more reliable than during the peak of the conflict.
What has the Iran conflict done to India’s oil supply lines?
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is a critical route for Gulf oil supplies. When the Iran conflict escalated, attacks on ships severely disrupted traffic, and India’s supply through the strait fell from 2.8 million barrels per day in February to just 247,000 in April. Russian supplies helped fill the shortfall, but the recovery of Gulf exports and the relative cost advantage are now drawing Indian refiners back to their traditional suppliers.
India’s November 2026 crude supply averages
| Source or route | Million barrels per day |
|---|---|
| Through Strait of Hormuz | 2.1 |
| Imports from Russia | 1.8 |
Facts and terms for exams
- Strait of Hormuz:
- A narrow maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
- Crude oil:
- Unrefined petroleum processed in refineries to produce fuels and other petroleum products.
- Energy security:
- The availability of reliable and affordable energy supplies to meet a country’s needs.
- Barrels per day:
- A unit expressing the average volume of oil produced, supplied or transported each day.
Why it matters for exams
Syllabus: Economy: Energy security and external trade; Geography: Major maritime routes and straits
Common mistake: Examiners may swap the November-to-date Hormuz-route figure with the Russian import figure: the respective averages were 2.1 million and 1.8 million barrels per day. Neither is a full-month total.
Mains question
Examine the factors behind India’s shifting crude oil import pattern from Russia to Gulf nations in 2026. How does this affect India’s energy security strategy?
Stuck? Get it in one tap
Crude oil is unrefined petroleum that refineries process into fuels. India received more oil through the Strait of Hormuz than it imported from Russia in November 2026 so far. Gulf oil became cheaper and shipping through Hormuz improved, while transport from Russia became costlier.
- India’s November-to-date Hormuz-route supply averaged 2.1 million barrels per day.
- India’s Russian crude imports averaged 1.8 million barrels per day in November so far.
- India’s Hormuz-route supply fell to 247,000 barrels per day in April.
- Four Gulf producers jointly exported 15.53 million barrels per day in October.
- The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
- Economy: Energy security and external trade
- Geography: Major maritime routes and straits
Related concepts: Strait of Hormuz, Crude oil, Energy security, Barrels per day
Practice questions
Pick an answer, then read the explanation.
- Q1Easy
Which maritime passage carried the 2.1 million barrels per day of crude supplied to India in November 2026 so far?
Explanation: The Strait of Hormuz is the passage used for the stated supply. The Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman are bodies of water connected by the strait; the Gulf countries are suppliers, not a passage.
- Q2Hard
Consider the following statements about India’s crude oil supplies in 2026:
- 1.Supplies through the Strait of Hormuz averaged 2.1 million barrels per day in November so far.
- 2.India’s Russian crude imports averaged more than its Hormuz-route supplies in November so far.
- 3.India’s Hormuz-route supplies averaged 247,000 barrels per day in April.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation: Statements 1 and 3 correctly state the November-to-date and April figures. Statement 2 is incorrect: Russian imports averaged 1.8 million barrels per day, less than the Hormuz-route figure.
- Q3Medium
What were the combined crude oil exports of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait in October 2026?
Explanation: The four producers jointly exported 15.53 million barrels per day in October. The other figures refer to Russian seaborne exports or India’s Hormuz-route supplies in different periods.
- Q4Medium
Why have Indian refiners increasingly preferred Gulf crude over Russian crude in November 2026?
Explanation: Lower Gulf crude prices and improved maritime flows favour purchases from Gulf suppliers. Russian shipping became more costly, Hormuz supplies recovered from April, and Russian seaborne exports declined by 40,000 barrels per day.
Frequently asked questions
1. How much crude oil did India receive through the Strait of Hormuz in November 2026?
The November-to-date average was 2.1 million barrels per day.
2. How much Russian crude oil did India import in November 2026 so far?
The average was 1.8 million barrels per day.
3. Why are Indian refiners returning to Gulf oil suppliers?
Gulf crude is cheaper and movement through the Strait of Hormuz has improved. Longer routes and rising shipping costs have made Russian supplies more expensive.
4. How low did India’s Hormuz-route oil supply fall in April 2026?
The supply fell to 247,000 barrels per day.
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- Original12 November 2026 · Read story
