Overview
- Idemitsu Kosan, which confirmed the deal Friday, received the Oman-flagged tanker Voyager in Tokyo Bay carrying Sakhalin Blend crude.
- The refiner said Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy asked for the purchase to keep petroleum products flowing as Strait of Hormuz tensions strained usual imports.
- A Japanese energy official said Sakhalin-2 oil shipments have U.S. approval and do not break sanctions, reflecting a limited exemption tied to the LNG-linked project.
- A U.S. waiver that allows Sakhalin-2 oil sales is set to expire in June, creating uncertainty for any further shipments unless authorities extend it.
- UPI, citing local reporting, said officials have steered Sakhalin crude to more sites such as Idemitsu affiliate Fuji Oil near Tokyo Bay after an earlier delivery to Taiyo Oil.