India’s Imports of Russian Crude Hit New High in July

India keeps buying a lot of Russian oil, with July imports hitting a new all-time high and accounting for more than half of total Indian crude oil imports. India’s crude oil imports from Russia rose to 2.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in July, up from the previous high of 2.7 million bpd in June, for the highest average monthly volume ever, according to vessel-tracking data by Kpler cited by the Times of India on Monday. Total Indian crude oil imports inched up slightly from June to stand at just over 5 million bpd in July, per the…

Market Context

Global crude oil markets remain sensitive to a combination of macroeconomic signals, OPEC+ production policy, and geopolitical developments across key producing regions. Brent crude and WTI serve as the primary price benchmarks, with spread movements reflecting regional supply-demand imbalances and refinery demand shifts.

Energy traders and analysts closely monitor inventory data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), which releases weekly petroleum status reports that frequently move markets. Rising inventories typically signal demand weakness or oversupply, while draws support price recovery.

What to Watch

Analysts and traders will be watching upcoming EIA inventory reports, OPEC+ output decisions, and macroeconomic indicators — particularly U.S. Federal Reserve policy signals and China demand data — for directional cues on crude prices in the near term.