A tanker carrying Russian crude oil docked at a refinery in western Japan this week, marking Japan’s first such import since tensions around the Strait of Hormuz disrupted global oil flows earlier this year.
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According to The Japan Times on May 6, the shipment was received by Japanese refiner Taiyo Oil at its facility in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture. The crude originated from Russia’s Sakhalin-2 energy project in the country’s Far East.
The cargo was purchased at the request of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as Tokyo seeks to diversify energy imports amid instability in the Middle East. The oil began unloading on May 6 for processing into gasoline and other petroleum products.
The Sakhalin-2 project remains partially exempt from Western sanctions imposed on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, allowing Japan to continue limited participation in the project due to energy security concerns.
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According to The Japan Times, Japanese officials cited the country’s heavy dependence on Middle Eastern crude as a key factor behind the decision. Roughly 95% of Japan’s oil imports traditionally come from the region.
The renewed imports come after months of disruption linked to escalating tensions involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime oil transit routes. Approximately one-fifth of global oil shipments normally pass through the strait.
Earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and opened fire on another cargo ship as tensions with the US escalated, according to Reuters. The incident further disrupted one of the world’s most critical energy routes, through which roughly 20% of global oil and LNG supplies normally pass.
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