China extended record imports of low-priced Russian crude oil into June despite a lockdown-induced slackening in its total crude oil imports, squeezing out supplies from the Middle East and West Africa, according to tanker trackers and traders. Russia remained China’s top supplier for the second month in a row, surpassing Saudi Arabia, according to tanker tracking specialists Vortexa, Kpler and Refinitiv. read more China is the world’s top importer of crude and Russian oil helps Chinese refiners keep costs down at a time when their margins are crimped by slowing demand from strict COVID-19 controls and Beijing’s restrictions on fuel exports amid supply concerns. read more June imports of Russian oil — including seaborne shipments and pipeline supplies — are set to total about 2 million barrels per day (bpd), or 15% of China’s crude demand, on par with May’s record volume, these analysts […]