MRPL Denies Force Majeure on Fuel Exports Amid West Asia Oil Disruption

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) Clarifies Fuel Export Suspension Reports

MRPL, a state-run refiner, has issued a clarification regarding reports that the company had suspended fuel exports due to disruptions in crude shipments from the Persian Gulf amid the widening conflict in West Asia.

According to a report by Bloomberg, MRPL had informed customers that it would suspend oil product exports due to crude shipment disruptions from the Middle East. However, in a statement, MRPL denied declaring any FORCE MAJEURE and claimed to be unaware of the mentioned news item and its source.

MRPL's refinery, which has a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day, has reportedly shut down a 100,000-barrel-per-day crude unit and some secondary units, including a hydrocracker, due to oil shortages. The shutdown is attributed to difficulties in securing prompt replacement crude cargoes as Iranian threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted crude oil flows.

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Asian refiners, including MRPL, are facing challenges in securing crude supplies, with some Chinese refiners already cutting their runs. MRPL, which stopped buying Russian oil in late 2023, is heavily dependent on crude supplies from the Middle East.