*India imported 4.43mn b/d of crude in the first nine months of 2019, down both on 9M18 (4.49mn b/d) and on the full-year 2018 figure of 4.51mn b/d. As such 2019 is on track for the first year-on-year fall in well over a decade (see table).
*Despite the overall fall, India is taking more from each of its top two suppliers, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. At 998,000 b/d for 9M19, Iraq is up almost 5% year-on-year (MEES, 27 September); Saudi is up 8.6% at 844,000 b/d. This puts both countries well on track to top last year’s annual records of 956,000 b/d and 790,000 b/d respectively. (CONTINUED - 298 WORDS)
