SINGAPORE/NEW DELHI: Indian state refiner Bharat Petroleum ‍bought ‍two million barrels of Oman and ​al-Shaheen crude from Vitol, traders said ⁠on Tuesday.

Price of the oil to ⁠be delivered in ‌April to early-May was at a premium of about $2 ⁠per barrel to April Dubai price, they said.

Indian refiners are avoiding Russian oil purchases for delivery in ⁠April and are ​expected to stay away from such trades for longer, ‍refining and trade sources said, a ​move that could help New Delhi seal a trade pact with Washington.

Indian Oil Corp bought six million barrels of crude from West Africa and the Middle East via tenders. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd on Monday also ⁠issued a tender seeking ‌for one to two million barrels of oil. (Reporting by Siyi ‌Liu ⁠in Singapore and Nidhi Verma in New Delhi; ⁠Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)