# Trump admin pushes India to buy Venezuelan oil

> US wants India to diversify from Russia by buying Venezuelan oil, but refining limits cap imports.
- Title: Trump admin pushes India to buy Venezuelan oil · Indiatimes
- Summary: US wants India to diversify from Russia by buying Venezuelan oil, but refining limits cap imports.
- Keywords: venezuela oil, india, russia, crude oil, refining capacity, venezuelan crude, us russia deal, venezuela production, venezuela exports, venezuela oil imports, venezuela oil prices, venezuela oil discount
- Source: Indiatimes — https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/diversifying-away-from-russia-trump-admin-wants-to-sell-venezuela-oil-to-india-but-how-much-can-it-buy/articleshow/135712323.cms
- Author: Smriti Jain
- Published: 2026-11-10T13:49:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: venezuela oil, india, russia, crude oil, refining capacity, venezuelan crude, us russia deal, venezuela production, venezuela exports, venezuela oil imports, venezuela oil prices, venezuela oil discount
## US pushes India to reduce Russian oil reliance
The Trump administration wants India to buy more crude oil from Venezuela to diversify away from Russian energy sources.
## Russia remains India's top oil supplier
Russia has gained a substantial share of India's crude oil imports after Indian refiners stepped up purchases of discounted Russian barrels.
## India's refining capacity key for Venezuelan oil
Reliance's Jamnagar complex can process heavy Venezuelan grades that many refineries cannot easily handle.
## Venezuelan crude is difficult to refine
Venezuelan crude oil has high viscosity, high sulphur content, and large residue yield that require sophisticated refining equipment.
## Quality consistency issues with Venezuelan crude
Venezuelan crude varies in water content, up to 5%, which adds operational challenges for buyers.
## Kpler data on Indian oil imports
India imported 4.71 million barrels per day of crude in August and 5.33 million barrels per day in September.
## Venezuela's share in Indian imports
Venezuela's share was 7.4% at the August peak, 3.7% in September and 5.7% in October.
## Realistic import capacity for India
Praveen Rai estimates India can absorb around 400,00:550,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan crude on a sustained basis.
## Reliance as primary buyer
Reliance Industries' Jamnagar complex would remain the principal buyer given its ability to process heavy-sour crude at scale.
## Competition from Gulf countries
Gulf countries, particularly Iraq, pose a competitive obstacle to Venezuelan crude for Indian refiners.
## US Gulf Coast competition
US Gulf Coast refineries are well suited to Venezuelan crude and much closer to loading ports.
## Venezuela production constraints
Venezuela's production and export availability will limit how much crude it can supply to India.
## Economic feasibility of Venezuelan oil
Venezuelan crude makes economic sense for complex refiners but has narrower margins than Russian oil.
## Discount on Venezuelan crude
Venezuelan crude landed at 66 dollars per barrel, a 24 dollar per barrel discount to the Indian Crude Basket.
## Freight costs impact discount
Venezuelan crude faces high freight costs, leaving only $2-4/bbl of discount before insurance and processing.
## Realistic import levels for India
India can realistically buy 400,000, 550,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan crude, but Russia remains its largest supplier.
## Key takeaway

India can realistically buy 400,000, 550,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan crude, but Russia remains its largest oil supplier.