India’s Essar refinery increases crude imports from Iran by 21.1%

India’s Essar Oil Refinery imported 21.1 percent more oil from Iran in June compared with the corresponding period in the last year. Essar Oil Refinery’s imports from the Islamic Republic also showed 16.3 percent increase in June as compared with May, Reuters reported. The Indian Oil Refinery imported 138,900 barrels of oil per day from Iran in June. India continues crude imports from Iran despite the harsh western sanctions imposed against the oil-rich country. India, the world's fourth-largest petroleum consumer, is Iran's second largest oil customer after China and purchases around $12bln worth of Iranian crude every year, about 12 percent of its consumption.