Japan Receives First Central Asian Crude Since Iran War Began

Japan is set to receive this week the first crude tanker from Central Asia since the war in Iran began, the Japanese Industry Ministry said on Monday. A tanker shipping Azerbaijani crude is expected to arrive in Japan on Tuesday, the authorities said, as the country – and other Asian buyers – are scrambling for alternative supply amid the massive disruption from the Middle East. Resource-poor Japan is heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil supply and felt the supply crunch almost immediately as most supplies from the region remained…