Japanese refiner Taiyo Oil will receive a cargo of ultra light crude oil from the Sakhalin-2 project in early January after an eight-month halt, a company spokesman said on Wednesday.
“We are taking the last cargo of our term contract for this year,” a Taiyo Oil spokesman told Reuters, adding that it has no plan to buy Russian oil next year.
About 600,000 barrels of Sakhalin Blend was loaded onboard oil tanker Zaliv Baikal on Tuesday and the vessel is expected to discharge the cargo at Kikuma port in Japan on Jan. 3 where Taiyo Oil’s refinery is located, Refinitiv data showed.
The company last imported Sakhalin Blend crude in May, according to Refinitiv data.
Earlier this month, Tokyo sounded out major oil refiners about buying oil from the Sakhalin-2 gas and oil project, owned by Gazprom GAZP.MM and Japanese companies, to ensure the plant can continue to operate smoothly.
The complex operated by joint venture Sakhalin Energy is vital to Japan’s energy security as it accounts for 9% of the country’s liquefied natural gas imports.
Sakhalin Energy did not respond to a request for comment.
