India has shipped jet fuel to the US West Coast for the first time, sending a 60,000-metric-ton cargo from Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar refinery to Chevron. The opportunity opened up after a disruption at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery in southern California, which cut supply at the 285,000-barrel-a-day facility in October.
The jet fuel cargo left Jamnagar between October 28 and 29, according to Kpler, LSEG data and industry sources cited by Reuters. The shipment is being carried by the Panamax tanker Hafnia Kallang, chartered by Castleton Commodities, and is expected to reach Los Angeles in early December.
Chevron has said repairs at the El Segundo jet fuel unit will take time, likely stretching into early 2026. Until then, two industry sources expect jet fuel supplies on the US West Coast to stay tight.
Chevron noted that it will keep supplying customers globally and may draw on imported cargoes when needed.
Even though this shipment created a rare India-to-US West Coast trade route, analysts don’t expect it to become routine. Northeast Asia remains a cheaper and more consistent source, with freight from South Korea to the US West Coast holding steady at about $40 per ton since October. Spot freight data for the India–US West Coast route is scarce because it is used so infrequently.
Jet fuel exports from Northeast Asia to the US West Coast hit a five-month high of around 600,000 tons last month, supported by favourable pricing. West Coast jet fuel traded roughly $10 a barrel higher than Singapore’s FOB prices. As of November 7, inventories on the US West Coast were at a three-month low of 11.12 million barrels.
