Kyodo News reported May 2, citing a Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry official, that refiner Taiyo Oil procured crude produced by the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas development project in Russia’s Far East through a spot deal. The crude was reported to have left Sakhalin aboard a tanker in late April.
The tanker carrying the Russian crude is expected to arrive as early as the night of May 3 at Ehime Prefecture, where Taiyo Oil has refining facilities. It is Japan’s first import of Russian crude since the Hormuz closure. Kyodo said the purchase is not believed to fall under Western sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sakhalin-2 is led by Russia’s state energy company Gazprom, with Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. and Mitsui & Co. participating. It produces liquefied natural gas and crude from offshore gas fields northeast of Russia’s Sakhalin region. The project began year-round crude production in 2008 and has exported LNG since 2009. Japan also holds a stake in the Sakhalin-1 development.
The import is seen as part of Japan’s effort to diversify procurement as disruptions to Middle East crude shipments persist. Kyodo reported that a large tanker managed by a unit of Idemitsu Kosan was confirmed to have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in late April, but it remains unclear whether Middle East crude transport will return to normal.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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