【Petroleum Coke】Up 14%! India's Petcoke Production Declines While October Imports Increase...

Calcined petroleum coke, with its high carbon content, low sulfur, and low impurities, plays a vital role in modern manufacturing, especially in the aluminum and steel industries.

【Petroleum Coke】Up 14%! India's Petcoke Production Declines While October Imports Increase by 2 Million Tons MoM

Ahead of the peak construction season, proactive restocking has emerged, resulting in a month-on-month increase in India's petroleum coke (petcoke) imports, as importers look for alternative sources beyond the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

According to BigMint data, India's petcoke imports increased from 1.4 million tons in September to 1.6 million tons in October 2025, up 14% month-on-month. This increase was driven by greater export volumes from the United States and Saudi Arabia, while limited domestic refinery supply also supported the rise.

Import Sources by Country

Importers explore alternative petcoke sources

In October, the United States remained the leading supplier with 700,000 tons of exports to India, slightly lower than 800,000 tons in September; Saudi Arabia's supply rose from 200,000 to 300,000 tons; and Oman's shipments increased from 100,000 to 200,000 tons.
Additionally, small cargoes arrived from Venezuela, Mexico, and Kuwait. This reflects a more diversified import structure as demand remains steady. Driven by cost considerations, buyers appear to be actively seeking non-traditional suppliers.

Cement Industry Continues to Drive Demand

UltraTech Cement boosted its purchases from 400,000 tons in September to 600,000 tons in October, maintaining a leading position; Wonder Cement followed with 200,000 tons of procurement; while Reliance Industries, Shree Cement, and JK Cement maintained stable purchasing volumes of 100,000 tons each.
The steady increase in cement sector procurement highlights strong replenishment activity ahead of the anticipated construction boom in Q3 FY 2025-2026.

Why Did India's Petcoke Imports Increase MoM?

1. Domestic Supply Tightness

Throughout October, major refineries such as Reliance Industries (RIL) and Nayara Energy operated under limited capacity, keeping ex-refinery prices elevated. As the construction demand season approaches, cement producers have increasingly turned to overseas suppliers to secure raw material needs.
From a year-on-year perspective, October 2025 imports remained largely stable, indicating steady industrial consumption.

2. Decline in India's Petcoke Production

In September 2025, India's domestic petcoke production totaled 1.1 million tons, down 2.5% from 1.13 million tons in September 2024 and down 6.7% from 1.18 million tons in August 2025.
For the cumulative period of April–September 2025, total production was 7.06 million tons, a 4.2% decrease compared to 7.36 million tons a year earlier.

India Petcoke Production and Consumption Status

3. U.S. and Saudi Petcoke Prices Rise in October

In October 2025, import prices continued their upward trend:

U.S. petcoke CFR averaged USD 120/ton at Vizag Port and USD 118/ton at Kandla Port
(vs. USD 119/ton and USD 117/ton in September)

Saudi petcoke CFR averaged USD 117/ton at Mundra and USD 119/ton at Vizag
(vs. USD 115.75/ton and USD 117.75/ton one month earlier)

Tight global petcoke supply, high freight costs, and resilient Indian end-user demand are the major forces sustaining price increases.

India Petcoke Price Trend

Outlook

With industrial and construction activities accelerating following the monsoon season, India's petcoke imports are expected to remain stable in November 2025. However, persistently high CFR prices and the gradual recovery of domestic refinery supply may lead buyers to remain cautious when negotiating new orders.

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