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Eneos buys rare Canadian crude cargo to diversify away from Middle East

The Aframax tanker used for the shipment can carry about 750,000 barrels, and Canada exports to Asia via the Trans Mountain pipeline that has run at double capacity since 2024.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Energy

Japan’s biggest refiner, Eneos, has bought a rare cargo of Canadian crude as the country looks to diversify away from Middle Eastern supply, according to Reuters, citing ship tracking data from Kpler and LSEG.

The shipment is reported as the first Canadian oil shipment purchased by a Japanese company since 2025. The cargo was loaded on an Aframax tanker with a capacity of about 750,000 barrels, and the seller was Exxon.

Reuters said the move reflects Canada’s growing role in Asia’s import strategy as refiners shift away from Gulf supplies. Canada exports oil to Asian markets via the Trans Mountain pipeline to the coast of British Columbia.

Since 2024, the Trans Mountain pipeline has been operating at double its capacity of 890,000 barrels per day, as Canadian producers seek a larger share of Asia.

The story also notes that prior to the war, Japan sourced over 90% of its crude oil from Middle Eastern producers, and since then it has been seeking alternatives that have included the United States and Russia. Other countries buying crude from Alberta carried to the coast include India, Malaysia, and Singapore, Reuters reported.

Latest closeWTI crude $84.41 ▲6.5%

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