A tanker carrying Azerbaijani crude oil has arrived in Japan for the first time since the escalation of regional tensions involving Iran.
The Operative Information Center-OMM, citing reports from NHK, noted that the shipment marks a significant step in Tokyo's efforts to secure energy supplies amid geopolitical instability in the Middle East.
According to the report, the oil was purchased by ENEOS, one of Japan's largest petroleum refinery and filling station operators. The tanker delivered approximately 45,000 kiloliters of oil to Japan, a volume equivalent to roughly 16 percent of the country's daily domestic consumption.
The import of Azerbaijani oil is a key component of Japan's broader strategy to diversify its energy supply routes in response to shipping disruptions and security risks in the Strait of Hormuz. The Japanese government previously stated that the country possesses the capacity to meet domestic oil demand through at least the end of 2026 by utilizing alternative routes and strategic reserves.
Official Tokyo highlighted that alternative supply routes through the Port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and the Yanbu al-Bahr port in Saudi Arabia are being prioritized. Each of these locations has the potential to meet nearly half of Japan's domestic oil requirements. Furthermore, it was emphasized that oil exports from Texas terminals in the United States to Japan could potentially quadruple compared to the previous year, especially under the energy policies of the U.S. administration led by US President Donald Trump.
Japan began releasing strategic oil reserves on March 16 to stabilize the domestic market. Currently, the nation's total state and private reserves stand at approximately 470 million barrels, which is sufficient to cover 254 days of domestic demand. This diversification effort follows Japan's recent receipt of a shipment from Russia's Sakhalin project in early May, which was the first such delivery in nearly a year.
