Russia increased weekly oil shipments towards the end of October, but supplies to Asia remain under pressure Russian oil exports at sea rose in the last week of October following disruptions at Baltic ports, but the four-week supply average remained at a five-week low. China maintains high demand for Russian raw materials, while Indian buyers face transportation costs and competition for available quantities. According to Bloomberg, in the week ending October 25, Russia shipped 26.93 million barrels of oil - about 3.85 million barrels per day. This is 730 thousand barrels per day more than a week before. At the same time, the average volume of marine exports in the four weeks that ended on October 25 amounted to 3.55 million barrels per day, a decrease of 30 thousand barrels compared to the previous period. According to Bloomberg data published on November 3, in the week ending November 1, shipments reached 3.97 million barrels per day, or 27.8 million barrels. The four-week average rose to 3.65 million barrels per day. These figures reflect a rolling period and not a final total for the calendar month of October. Asia remains the main destination of Russian exports. For the four weeks to Oct. 25, Bloomberg estimates that Asian buyers, including cargoes with an as yet unspecified final destination, accounted for about 3.42 million barrels per day. China and India remain the biggest buyers. However, the distribution of recent shipments between countries is still clear: some tankers pass through intermediate points, and the final direction is determined during the voyage. Indian refiners are reducing purchases of Russian batches amid high shipping costs and competition from Chinese buyers. According to Bloomberg, the cost of transporting Russian oil to India at the end of October reached about $30 per barrel or more. This reduces the economic attractiveness of Ural's purchases, despite the continued demand for raw materials.