China imported a record 1.98mn b/d of crude from Russia in May as independent refiners ramped up runs on record buying of discounted Russian supplies.

China’s record Russian buying saw the country surge past Saudi Arabia as China’s top supplier for May, with imports from the kingdom dipping to 1.84mn b/d from April’s record 2.17mn b/d (MEES, 27 May). (CONTINUED - 1461 WORDS)