SINGAPORE, Nov 11 (Reuters) – Chinese provincial government-backed refiner Yanchang Petroleum is avoiding Russian oil in its latest crude oil tender for deliveries between December and mid-February，two traders with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.
Yanchang, located in the landlocked northern province of Shaanxi, has been a regular buyer of Russian oil, typically taking in one shipment per month, usually Far East export grade ESPO blend or Sokol, one of the traders said.
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Yanchang did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China and India are Russia’s top oil export markets.
Yanchang, which can process 348,000 barrels of crude per day, is one of the largest refiners in inland China and is entitled to an annual import quota of 3.6 million metric tons or 26 million barrels.
The refiner typically receives imported crude from Tianjin port, near Beijing, where the oil is shipped to it by rail.
Reporting by Chen Aizhu and Florence Tan; Additional reporting by Siyi Liu; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Tony Munroe
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