Group 1 - Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is seeking to purchase non-sanctioned Russian crude oil for delivery in early 2026, along with crude from the U.S. and West Africa, ensuring compliance with international sanctions [1] - Last month, IOC acquired five cargoes of Russian crude from non-sanctioned entities, totaling approximately 3.5 million barrels of ESPO crude, at prices comparable to Dubai quotes for delivery in December [2] - Following U.S. sanctions on major Russian oil producers, Indian refiners are shifting away from Russian crude, with IOC planning to buy 24 million barrels from the Americas in Q1 of next year to compensate for lost Russian supply [3] Group 2 - Most Indian refiners have refrained from ordering Russian crude for December due to U.S. sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, leading to increased purchases from the Middle East and Americas to mitigate expected declines in Russian loadings [4]