India’s state oil refiners are finding it hard to buy the volume of Russian crude they need, according to people familiar with the matter.

India's November crude imports showed Middle Eastern oil at a 9-month high while Russia accounted for its smallest share in three quarters, ship tracking data obtained from sources showed.

Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, and Hindustan Petroleum—are facing a shortfall of 8-10 million barrels of Russian oil for January loading, the sources said. Read also: India and Russia discuss long-term oil import deal The companies are concerned that issues with obtaining Russian crude on the spot