China Petroleum & Chemical (HKG:0386, SHA:600028), d/b/a Sinopec, increased its purchases of Far East ​Russian oil to offset reduced Middle East supplies caused by the war, Reuters reported Thursday, citing trade sources and ship-tracking data.

The state-owned refiner purchased 30 to 40 cargoes of Russia's Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) blend for July through September delivery, equivalent to about 241,000 to 320,000 barrels per day, or 5% to 6% of its 5.2 million-barrel-per-day refining capacity, the report said.

Ship-tracking data from Vortexa Analytics showed Sinopec secured about 7.4 million barrels of ESPO crude in July. The refiner has also purchased at least 10 cargoes each for August and September delivery, Reuters reported.

Sinopec did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for a comment.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)