October 27, 2026: India's Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd expects Russian crude purchases to fall in November as higher freight costs and unattractive offers make Middle Eastern grades more economical, a company executive said on Monday.

Russian volumes in November would be lower because Middle Eastern grades are more commercially viable compared to Russian grades, Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta, BPCL's head of finance, told analysts after the company's quarterly earnings.

In the July-to-September quarter, Russian crude was about 37% of BPCL's crude sourcing mix.

BPCL said supplies from the Middle East had increased compared with the first quarter and that it expected higher volumes from the region in October and November.

(Source: Economic Times)