A shipment of more than 700,000 barrels of Russian crude oil has arrived in the Philippines, a source told AFP on Thursday, days after the country declared a national energy emergency amid the Middle East war.
The Sierra Leone-flagged tanker Sara Sky, carrying high-quality crude from Russia’s ESPO pipeline, docked on Monday with documents listing Petron Corp as the consignee. The firm operates the country’s only oil refinery.
An AFP journalist saw the vessel anchored at Limay port near Manila, where the refinery is located. The shipment is believed to be the Philippines’ first import of Russian oil in five years.
The country relies heavily on imported fuel, with prices surging after the conflict involving the United States and Israel led to disruptions around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil route.
Last week, Petron CEO Ramon Ang said the company was in talks to source Russian crude, but on Thursday declined to confirm the shipment’s arrival.
President Ferdinand Marcos said the government was urgently seeking alternative fuel sources, warning that national reserves could last only about 45 days.
“We have not only gone to our traditional oil suppliers, we have tried to explore other sources that are not affected by the war,” he said, adding: “Nothing is off the table.”
The United States recently eased some restrictions on Russian oil sales, allowing shipments already at sea to be purchased until April 11.
Analysts estimate that around 120 million barrels of Russian crude were in transit at the time, much of it potentially pre-booked by major buyers such as China and India.
To address the crisis, the Department of Energy activated a 20 billion-peso ($332 million) emergency fund, which Energy Secretary Sharon Garin described as a proactive step to secure fuel supplies.
Authorities are also planning to boost output from coal-fired power plants to stabilize electricity costs as the war disrupts gas shipments and drives up prices of liquefied natural gas.
Garin said the country may temporarily increase reliance on coal despite environmental concerns, noting that key supplier Indonesia has not imposed limits on additional exports if needed.
Source: AFP
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
