Russian oil unlikely anytime soon

• American oil on the way
• Russia is supportive of long term energy cooperation which is not determined by US interests
• An official of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation says discussions are ongoing with regard to the current status of planned procurement of Russian oil
• Sri Lanka not the only country that has sought Russian oil at this juncture

By Kelum Bandara

Sri Lanka is unlikely to secure a shipment of Russian oil anytime soon, as logistical arrangements are still under discussion while the one-month US sanctions waiver is due to expire on April 11, the Daily Mirror learns. After the sanctions were lifted, the Sri Lankan government sought engagements with the Russian authorities to procure petroleum products to ward off the impact of the fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz that is responsible for 20 percent of global oil shipments.   

Russian Deputy Minister of Energy Roman Marshavin visited Sri Lanka in late March 2026 pledged to support the country’s energy needs amid global supply disruptions. His visit was followed by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko.  

During a discussion organized by Pathfinder Foundation, he said that Russia was supportive of long term energy cooperation which is not determined by the US interests.

He also said that Sri Lanka is not the only country that has sought Russian oil at this juncture.   

Asked about the current status of planned procurement of Russian oil, an official of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said that discussions are ongoing at the moment.   

Besides, he confirmed that Sri Lanka placed an order for the import of American crude oil for the first time in recent history, and the shipment is expected in May.  

Earlier, during tariff negotiations with the United States, Sri Lanka decided to consider the import West Texas Intermediate (WTI), a very light, sweet crude used as the U.S. benchmark, to reduce the trade gap between the two countries. Otherwise, Sri Lanka used to import Murban which is a high-quality, light, and sweet crude oil produced by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the UAE. It mostly remained qualified to enter the Sri Lankan market at a competitive rate after the tender process.   

Sri Lanka only has a refinery capacity for 50,000 barrels a day.