New Delhi, June 16 -- With concerns over oil supply disruptions in the Gulf region amid the West Asia crisis, India's state-run refiners sourced crude oil from Nigeria to help diversify supplies.

Between March and May 2026, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) received nearly six million barrels of crude oil from Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO), a Nigeria-based oil producer led by entrepreneur Nitin Sandesara.

The crude was produced from SEEPCO's Okwuibome field in Nigeria and shipped to India through Atlantic routes, avoiding the risks associated with the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil t...