India's Nayara Energy Ltd, part-owned by a consortium led by Russian oil major Rosneft, is scouting for ultra-heavy oil amid tightening supply following US sanctions against Iran and Venezuela, its vice-president said on Tuesday.

"Iran and Venezuela have taken 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd) out of the market," said Ashutosh S Deshpande, referring to the impact of sanctions restricting supplies from those countries in comments during a panel session at the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) in Singapore.

"The market for sour (grades) and heavies has become more tight," said Deshpande. Nayara operates a 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery at Vadinar in India's west coast.

The executive said heavy and sour crude supplies had been expected to increase, and that was supposed to help complex refineries.

"But that hasn't happened," he said.

Deshpande said the United States is pumping more oil to balance the market, but members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major producers have cut more heavy grades.

"We are trying to get more crude from different geographies," he said.

First Published:Sept 10, 2019 2:26 PM IST