Indian Oil boosting spot purchases of low-sulfur crude: Ashok Company reducing share of purchases made via long-term deals The global oil market glut is helping India’s biggest crude processor become nimble. While Indian Oil Corp. used to buy more than 80 percent of its crude via long-term contracts, it’s cut that share down by 10-12 percent over the past three years, said Chairman B. Ashok. That’s because a flood of “light” low-sulfur crude exacerbated by the U.S. shale boom has given the state-run company more opportunities to make spot purchases over scheduled imports of heavier, higher-sulfur Middle East oil, he said. The output-cut deal between OPEC and its allies to ease a glut has done little to shrink the flow of crude with lesser sulfur content that’s easier to process into lucrative fuels such as gasoline. Most of the supply produced in U.S. shale fields, Nigeria and Libya — […]