Türkiye Slashes Russian Urals Imports, Boosts Kazakh and Iraqi Oil Flow.

In a move that underscores the tightening grip of international sanctions on Russian energy, Türkiye sharply reduced its imports of flagship Russian Urals crude oil in November, according to shipping data. The reduction, first detailed in a report by Reuters, shows Turkish refiners strategically reconfiguring their supply chains, opting for barrels from Central Asia and the Middle East.

The Sharp Drop in Urals Crude

The calculated maneuver saw daily shipments of Russian Urals crude plummet by a striking 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) from October levels, bringing total Russian imports down to approximately 200,000 bpd last month, according to data analysis from energy consulting firm Kpler and LSEG (as reported by Reuters).

This sudden contraction is widely viewed as a direct response to mounting Western pressure, particularly recent U.S. sanctions aimed at major Russian energy firms like Lukoil and Rosneft. These restrictions have narrowed the pool of suppliers and financial institutions Turkish refiners can comfortably transact with, forcing them to seek more sanctions-compliant feedstock.

For months, Türkiye had established itself as one of the largest customers for Russian seaborne crude after the EU embargo, taking advantage of steep discounts on Urals crude. However, the economic calculus appears to be shifting as the risk of secondary sanctions and financial complications increases.

Diversification Takes Center Stage

As Russian Urals volumes fell, Ankara’s refiners immediately turned their gaze eastward and southward, dramatically increasing purchases from alternative suppliers: Kazakhstan and Iraq.

The primary beneficiary of this pivot has been Kazakhstan’s CPC Blend crude. In November, Türkiye imported 105,000 bpd of this crude, marking the highest volume of such imports since February 2024. Crucially, the CPC Blend—which is loaded from a Russian port but mostly produced by Kazakh companies—is explicitly exempt from Western energy sanctions, making it a reliable and compliant replacement grade.

Simultaneously, Turkish refiners boosted their intake of crude oil from Iraq, another regional source whose crude quality is similar to Urals. Broader data released by the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) for November confirmed this shift, showing that while Russia remained the largest single source of total oil imports (crude and products combined) at 2.61 million tons, Iraq and Kazakhstan followed closely, supplying 647,919 tons and 208,428 tons, respectively.

This diversification highlights a complex balancing act for Türkiye: maintaining essential energy flows while navigating the geopolitical minefield of Russia-Ukraine sanctions.