Costing a Russian oil supply gap
Analysts see potential for $200/bl+ if it becomes ever more difficult in practice for Western nations to buy crude from Russia
US president Joe Biden may be prepared for Europe not to join his embargo on importing Russian oil. But Shell’s decision to commit to buying no more Russian spot oil and to phase it out of its supply chains entirely over the coming weeks serves as a reminder that—even if countries are not yet officially banning imports from Russia—buying, paying for and securing finance to trade in the country’s oil is already proving challenging in many jurisdictions. When following the US’ lead on Tuesday, the UK government estimated that 70pc of Russian oil was struggling to find a buyer. So it is no surprise that analysts are scrambling to try to put a price on the impact of replumbing the global crude s
Also in this section
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic






