Oil in spotlight as Venezuela’s Rodríguez visits India amid supply woes, shifting flows

Disruptions to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing Middle East conflict are reshaping global crude supply routes, prompting India to rapidly increase Venezuelan crude imports — with 9.5 million barrels scheduled for discharge at Indian ports in June 2026. This shift is driving a surge in VLCC traffic toward Indian ports, particularly Sikka, with potential congestion implications as heavy-crude processing capacity remains limited.