India crude processing falls 8.9% in April; Middle East supply shifts weigh on refiners

India's crude processing by refiners fell in April as supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict changing crude sourcing patterns and maintenance shutdowns weighed on refinery operations, according to provisional government data reviewed by Reuters.India processed 5.23 million barrels per day (mbpd), or 21.39 million metric tonnes of crude oil in April, down 8.9 per cent from 5.55 mbpd (23.48 million metric tonnes) in March. On a yearly basis, throughput was down 2.2 per cent from 21.86 million metric tonnes in April 2025.The decline came amid volatility in global energy markets following the US-Iran conflict, which disrupted shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carries nearly one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies.According to Reuters, Indian refiners increasingly turned to crude imports from Latin America and Africa after supplies from the Middle East came under pressure.Nayara Energy, partly owned by Russian oil major Rosneft, received only one Russian oil cargo in April after keeping its refinery largely shut during the month for routine maintenance, according to shipping data cited by Reuters.Among major refiners, Reliance Industries' Jamnagar refinery processed 2.47 million tonnes in April, down from 2.87 million tonnes in March. Nayara's Vadinar refinery also saw a sharp drop in processing volumes to 502,000 tonnes from 1.65 million tonnes in the previous month.CPCL's CBR refinery remains decommissioned and under shutdown due to limitations in meeting required product specifications under its existing configuration.