Sri Lanka to increase oil imports from Saudi Arabia

Sri Lanka has plans to increase oil imports from Saudi Arabia and in case it had to stop importing oil from Iran, instructions have been given to diplomatic missions to find more options to import crude oil to the Island.
The United States has announced an embargo on Iranian oil imports in a bid to put pressure on Teheran to be transparent with its ongoing nuclear program.

Crude oil supplies to Sri Lanka’s one and only refinery in Sapugaskanda which refines nearly 50,000 bpd mainly comes from Iran.
It was stated by the Minister of Petroleum Susil Premajayantha ambassadors were asked to look for other alternatives and there are plans to increase oil imports from Saudi Arabia.

As of now, Sri Lanka only imports a single consignment from Saudi Arabia per year which amounts to 135,000 tons of crude.
According to the Petroleum Ministry Secretary Dr H.R. Samaratunga, Sri Lanka will also start discussions with Oman later this month.