Long-term use of melatonin supplements to support sleep may have negative health effects

American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025, Abstract MP2306

American Heart Association

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

Research Highlights:

• A review of 5 years of health records for more than 130,000 adults with insomnia who had used melatonin for at least a year found they were more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure, require hospitalization for the condition or die from any cause.
• The association between melatonin and increased risk of heart failure or death found in this study, which cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship, raises safety concerns about the use of melatonin, which is widely available, and may warrant more research on melatonin to assess its cardiovascular safety, researchers said.
• Note: The study featured in this news release is a research abstract. Abstracts presented at American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary until published as full manuscripts in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025

DALLAS, Nov. 3, 2025 — Long-term use of melatonin supplements, often used to promote sleep and address insomnia, was associated with a higher risk of heart failure diagnosis, heart failure hospitalization and death from any cause in chronic insomnia, according to a preliminary study to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting, Nov. 7-10, in New Orleans, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science.

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced in the body by the pineal gland, and it helps regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin levels increase during darkness and decrease during daylight. Chemically identical synthetic versions of the hormone are often used to treat insomnia (difficulty falling and/or staying asleep) and jet lag. The supplements are widely available over the counter in many countries, including the U.S. In the U.S., over-the-counter supplements are not regulated, so each brand of supplement can vary in strength, purity, etc.

In this study, researchers classified people who had used melatonin long-term (with long-term use defined as a year or more documented in their electronic health records) as part of the “melatonin group.” In contrast, those who never had melatonin recorded anywhere in their medical records were classified as the “non-melatonin group.”

“Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed. If our study is confirmed, this could affect how doctors counsel patients about sleep aids,” said Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, M.D., lead author of the study and chief resident in internal medicine at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in Brooklyn, New York.

Melatonin supplements are promoted and marketed as a safe sleep aid; however, data demonstrating their long-term cardiovascular safety are lacking, which prompted the researchers to examine whether melatonin use alters the risk of heart failure, specifically in chronic insomnia patients. According to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body’s organs for them to function properly and is a common condition that affects 6.7 million adults in the U.S.

Using a large international database (the TriNetX Global Research Network), the researchers reviewed 5 years of electronic health records for adults with chronic insomnia who had melatonin recorded in their health records and used it for more than a year. They were matched with peers in the database who also had insomnia but never had melatonin recorded in their health records. People were excluded from the analysis if they had previously been diagnosed with heart failure or had been prescribed other sleep medications.

The main analysis found:

• Among adults with insomnia, those whose electronic health records indicated long-term melatonin use (12 months or more) had about a 90% higher chance of incident heart failure over 5 years compared with matched non-users (4.6% vs. 2.7%, respectively).
• There was a similar result (82% higher) when researchers analyzed people who had at least 2 melatonin prescriptions filled at least 90 days apart. (Melatonin is only available by prescription in the United Kingdom.)

A secondary analysis found:

• Participants taking melatonin were nearly 3.5 times as likely to be hospitalized for heart failure when compared to those not taking melatonin (19.0% vs. 6.6%, respectively).
• Participants in the melatonin group were nearly twice as likely to die from any cause than those in the non-melatonin group (7.8% vs. 4.3%, respectively) over the 5-year period.

“Melatonin supplements are widely thought of as a safe and ‘natural’ option to support better sleep, so it was striking to see such consistent and significant increases in serious health outcomes, even after balancing for many other risk factors,” Nnadi said.

”I’m surprised that physicians would prescribe melatonin for insomnia and have patients use it for more than 365 days, since melatonin, at least in the U.S., is not indicated for the treatment of insomnia. In the U.S., melatonin can be taken as an over-the-counter supplement and people should be aware that it should not be taken chronically without a proper indication,” said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., C.C.S.H., FAHA, chair of the writing group for the American Heart Association’s 2025 scientific statement, Multidimensional Sleep Health: Definitions and Implications for Cardiometabolic Health. St-Onge, who was not involved in this study, is a professor of nutritional medicine in the division of general medicine and director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research in the department of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.

The study has several limitations. First, the database includes countries that require a prescription for melatonin (such as the United Kingdom) and countries that don’t (such as the United States), and patient locations were not part of the de-identified data available to the researchers. Since melatonin use in the study was based only on those identified from medication entries in the electronic health record, everyone taking it as an over-the-counter supplement in the U.S. or other countries that don’t require a prescription would have been in the non-melatonin group; therefore, the analyses may not accurately reflect this. Hospitalization figures were also higher than those for initial diagnosis of heart failure because a range of related diagnostic codes may be entered for the hospitalization, and they may not always include the code for a new diagnosis of heart failure. The researchers also lacked information on the severity of insomnia and the presence of other psychiatric disorders.

“Worse insomnia, depression/anxiety or the use of other sleep-enhancing medicines might be linked to both melatonin use and heart risk,” Nnadi said. “Also, while the association we found raises safety concerns about the widely used supplement, our study cannot prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. This means more research is needed to test melatonin’s safety for the heart.”

Study details, background and design:

• The study included 130,828 adults (average age of 55.7 years; 61.4% women) diagnosed with insomnia.
• The study data was from TriNetX, established in 2013, a growing global network of real-world, de-identified patient data available for research.
• 65,414 participants had been prescribed melatonin at least once and reported taking it for at least a year.
• A second group of people were examined for comparison (control group) — those who had never been prescribed melatonin and were matched to the group taking melatonin on 40 factors including demographic information, health conditions and medications. 
• Participants were excluded if they had already been diagnosed with heart failure or had been prescribed other types of sleeping pills such as benzodiazepines.
• The melatonin and control groups were matched for age, sex, race/ethnicity, heart and nervous system diseases, medications for heart and nervous system diseases, blood pressure and body mass index. Researchers looked at electronic medical records from the five years after the matching date.
• For the main findings, records were searched for codes related to an initial diagnosis of heart failure. Secondary findings included codes for hospitalization related to heart failure or death.
• Following the initial analyses, researchers validated the credibility of their findings by conducting a sensitivity analysis. This involved slightly changing the criteria: they required participants in the melatonin group to have filled at least two melatonin prescriptions that were at least 90 days apart. This adjustment aimed to determine whether the extended duration of confirmed melatonin prescriptions influenced the outcomes.

Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in the abstract.

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. Abstracts presented at the Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, rather, they are curated by independent review panels and are considered based on the potential to add to the diversity of scientific issues and views discussed at the meeting. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

• Multimedia is available on the right column of the release link, including a video interview with American Heart Association volunteer expert: Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., C.C.S.H., FAHA, chair of the writing group for the American Heart Association’s 2025 scientific statement, Multidimensional Sleep Health: Definitions and Implications for Cardiometabolic Health, is also a professor of nutritional medicine in the division of general medicine and director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research in the department of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.
• Spanish news release
• Link to abstract in the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025 Online Program Planner
• American Heart Association health information: Life’s Essential 8, How to get healthy sleep
• American Heart Association health information: How to sleep well infographic
• About Scientific Sessions 2025
• For more news at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025, follow us on X @HeartNews,#AHA25

###

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

 

Researchers pinpoint target for treating virus that causes the stomach bug

New study reveals how human astroviruses bind to humans cells and paves the way for new therapies and vaccines

University of California - Santa Cruz

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

Adam Lentz, a Ph.D. student in the DuBois lab at UC Santa Cruz, led a project to better understand the structure of human astroviruses.

view more 

Credit: Rebecca DuBois/ UC Santa Cruz

Human astroviruses are a leading viral cause of the stomach bug—think vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. It often impacts young children and older adults, leading to vicious cycles of sickness and malnutrition, particularly for those in low and middle income countries. It’s very commonly found in wastewater studies, meaning it’s frequently circulating in communities. As of now, there are no vaccines for this virus. 

New research from the lab of Rebecca DuBois, a professor of biomolecular engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, reveals the strategy that the human astrovirus uses to enter the body. A study detailing these results was published in the journal Nature Communications. 

“We uncovered a really important part of the virus lifecycle, and now we know exactly where on the virus this important interaction with the human receptor occurs,” DuBois said. “Now we can develop vaccines that will target it and block that interaction—it really guides future vaccine development.” 

The team’s discovery also illuminates the possibility of repurposing existing, FDA-approved treatments to target astrovirus. DuBois and her team will continue to pursue both vaccines and treatments for astrovirus, with the support of around $416,000 via a new R21 award from National Institutes of Health. 

Assessing astrovirus

The DuBois lab at the Baskin School of Engineering studies the molecular structure of viruses—mostly those that primarily affect children—to understand how they enter human cells and reveal new targets for vaccines and treatments. 

Within the last two years, scientists discovered that astrovirus enters the body by binding to a protein in human cells called the neonatal Fc receptor. This receptor plays a key role in supplying antibodies to babies via breastmilk, and continues to support overall health later in life by moving antibodies and other proteins through the bloodstream.

However, it’s not enough to know what the virus binds to—it’s crucial to discover exactly how the binding works to allow the virus to enter the body. DuBois’ lab sought to understand how the virus engages this receptor at the molecular level. 

“Viruses have to use host machinery to replicate, and the very first step is that the virus has to enter our cells,” said Adam Lentz, a Ph.D. student in DuBois’ lab who spearheaded this study. “That step of cell entry is where we're really interested, and we want to fully understand how this happens—what proteins, what receptors, what other human factors it's using to get inside. Ultimately, once we understand how it enters our cells, we can take the next step of figuring out how to stop it.” 

To do so, the engineers created replicas of both the astrovirus and the receptor in the lab, mixing them together to observe exactly how and where the two bind. Using X-ray crystallography, a technique that reveals the structure of a protein at the atomic level, they discovered that the virus attaches to the same exact site on the receptor that antibodies do. 

“The virus is hijacking the pathway that humans use for beneficial purposes to get inside the cell,” DuBois said. “I think that’s one of the most exciting findings—we discovered exactly how the virus is using this receptor to sneak into our cells.” 

FDA-approved treatments already exist to target this antibody pathway for other disease contexts, such as for some types of auto-immunity. The research from the DuBois lab reveals a path to repurpose these treatments and test for their ability to protect against astrovirus disease —shortening the timeline for development of new therapies. 

DuBois is particularly interested in developing vaccines for astrovirus, and the close study of astrovirus revealed that the pathogen frequently mutates near the location where it binds to the receptor. This means that the virus evolves often to evade the human immune system—much like influenza—and suggests that a multi-strain approach may be needed for an effective vaccine. 

“If we can make a vaccine that is multivalent, we can protect against many strains of the virus,” DuBois said.

---

Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-025-65203-2 

Article Title

Structure of the human astrovirus capsid spike in complex with the neonatal Fc receptor

Article Publication Date

3-Nov-2025

Honeywell Unveils New Biocrude Technology for Sustainable Fuel

By Haley Zaremba - Nov 01, 2025

• Honeywell has developed a new Biocrude Upgrading process technology that transforms agricultural and forestry waste into ready-to-use renewable fuels for aviation and maritime industries.
• 
  
• This breakthrough offers a high-energy density fuel alternative that can extend vessel range and be integrated without costly engine upgrades, addressing a critical challenge in decarbonizing heavy transport.
• 
  
• The technology aims to reduce risk and streamline deployment through prefabricated modular plants, making sustainable fuel options more accessible and cost-effective for industries historically reliant on high-carbon pathways.
• 
  

Shipping and aviation are considered to be some of the hardest to abate sectors when it comes to decarbonization. Together, these two sectors account for a whopping 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that figure is likely going to rise as more goods are shipped and more flights are booked each and every year. But a new biofuels breakthrough may provide a long-range fuel alternative for the heavy transport and aviation industries.

Emissions from the aviation sector have quadrupled since the 1960s, even as flying has become more than twice as energy efficient. And as incomes rise around the world and more and more people fly, emissions will continue to climb. Today, just 10% of the global population uses air travel, but that’s set to change in the near future as global economies continue to develop. 

Maritime shipping, meanwhile, remains reliant on heavy fuel oil, also known as bunker oil, the second dirtiest fossil fuel in the world after coal. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if the maritime shipping industry was a country, it would rank as the sixth-highest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. 

Moreover, aviation and maritime shipping share a common challenge to decarbonization – they carry extremely heavy loads and have very limited opportunities for refuelling. As a result, they need fuels that are extremely energy dense. As a result, “the energy density of oil-based fuels is particularly important in these sectors,” according to Barron’s. 

Until now, biomass has not been a feasible option for its replacement, as “the supply of waste oil feedstock is not sufficient to meet demand.” However, Barron’s noted in its 2020 report that “biofuels from cellulosic crops and agricultural wastes are possibilities for the future.”

Well, the future is now. Honeywell, a conglomerate corporation headquartered in the United States, has unveiled a new system that can reportedly convert biomass into ready-to-use renewable fuels. The novel Biocrude Upgrading process technology is designed to run on byproducts from agriculture and forestry to divert waste into a cheap and abundant source of biomass. The result is a more sustainable alternative to marine fuel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and gasoline.

“With higher energy density than many current biofuel alternatives, this renewable marine fuel can extend a vessel’s range without requiring costly engine upgrades,” Honeywell said in a press release posted earlier this week. 

The ability to pivot to biofuels without changing engine infrastructure is a critical selling point of the new product. Plus, Honeywell is sweetening the deal by reducing risk and streamlining deployment of the new technology through prefabricated modular plants. One of the things that makes shipping and aviation so hard to abate is that the infrastructure and investments that uphold the sector are “locked into high-carbon pathways for decades.” As such, alternative fuel sources, including biofuels, are needed “for disruption to break through carbon lock-in and path dependency” according to a paper published in the scientific journal Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions in September of last year. 

Making a biofuel that is easy to use and cost-effective is therefore critical to creating disruption and driving real change in the shipping and aviation industries. “Honeywell continues to drive innovation in the areas that our customers need most,” Ken West, president of Honeywell Energy and Sustainability Solutions, was quoted by Interesting Engineering. “The maritime industry has a real need for renewable fuels that are immediately available and cost-effective. Our Biocrude Upgrading processing technology can be delivered in modular form, offering savings from the point of installation through to refining and use.”

The biofuels industry is coming off of several boom years in a row, but there is some concern that policy changes could put a damper on the sector. Continued free trade with Canada will be critical to the success of an endeavor like the Biocrude Updating technology, as the country is a critical source of feedstock from its agricultural and forestry sectors. The Trump administration got off to a rocky start in this regard, and only time will tell how future fuel standards and trade policies will unfold.  

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com 

Chinese Oil Buyers Reduce Russian Purchases

By Irina Slav - Nov 03, 2025

Chinese refiners are canceling Russian oil cargos and adopting a wait-and-see attitude after the latest U.S. sanctions on Russia’s oil industry.

Bloomberg reports, citing traders, that state-owned majors including Sinopec and PetroChina had canceled previously ordered Russian oil cargos, while the so-called teapots, or independent refiners, had stopped buying Russian crude to avoid getting penalized for violating the U.S. sanctions.

The publication cited Rystad Energy as estimating that some 45% of Chinese imports of Russian crude have been affected by the sanctions. The figure represents some 400,000 barrels daily. As a result of the forced change in buying habits, Russian crude is trading at a deeper discount, with the flagship Urals at $57.99 per barrel at the end of last week. China mostly imports another blend, the Eastern Siberian-Pacific Ocean or ESPO, and the cargo cancellations have pushed its price lower, Bloomberg noted.

Russia became the largest single oil supplier to both China and India over the past three years, thanks to the discounts its oil carries amid Western sanctions. Now, both China and India need to find alternatives to Russian crude, of which there are plenty, but at usually higher prices. China has made itself a supply cushion by importing more crude than it is using this year, and building more storage capacity. Plans are to have 11 new storage sites with a combined capacity of 169 million barrels by the end of 2026.

India is having a more challenging time replacing Russian oil supply. Russia accounts for a third of its total oil imports, which in turn account for some 85% of consumption. Due to its overwhelming dependence on imported crude, India is especially vulnerable to price differences and is especially motivated by discounts when making buying decisions. Even Indian refiners are reportedly turning away from Russian crude as well, to avoid U.S. sanction penalties.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

Indian Refining Giant Switches From Russian to Emirati Crude

By Irina Slav - Nov 03, 2025

Bharat Petroleum, one of the largest refiners in India, has bought a cargo of Emirati Upper Zakum crude, as it seeks alternatives to Russian oil, Reuters has reported, citing unnamed sources.

The cargo is 2 million barrels, to be delivered next month. Bharat Petroleum bought it on the spot market, where it previously mostly bought Russian crude, at the same rate of around 2 million barrels monthly.

Reports of Indian refiners buying non-Russian oil cargoes have become frequent in the past couple of weeks, following Washington’s decision to impose sanctions on two of Russia’s biggest oil exporters, Rosneft and Lukoil.

The two together handle about half the country’s crude exports, a big portion of which goes to Indian refiners. While the news initially caused a small price shock, the effect quickly evaporated as it became clear that there are ways around the sanctions, such as buying Russian crude from non-sanctioned entities and, ultimately, changing the supplier, even at a higher cost.

Indian Oil Corp., for instance, last week bought as many as five cargoes of Russian crude oil for December delivery from non-sanctioned sellers. IOC is the largest refiner in India, and the purchase signals there are still ways to buy Russian crude without violating the latest sanctions, aimed at draining Russia’s energy export revenues, widely assumed in Washington to be the only source of funding for the war in Ukraine.

Other Indian oil processors, meanwhile, are buying crude from elsewhere, including the Middle East, the Americas, and West Africa. That oil often costs more than Russian crude, which, thanks to the sanctions, sells at a discount, but at least there is supply, even if the bills end up higher.

This could become an issue over the longer term. India imports over 80% of the oil it consumes, meaning it is quite sensitive to price increases on global markets or, in the case of sanctions, the need to switch from cheap to costlier crude.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

Indian Refiners Pivot Away From Russian Oil

By Alex Kimani - Nov 01, 2025

• Indian refiners are moving away from Russian oil following new U.S. sanctions, opting for more expensive U.S. and Middle Eastern grades to avoid repercussions.
• 
  
• The sanctions have reduced the attractiveness of Russian oil by narrowing discounts and increasing transaction risks, causing India's share of Russian oil imports to decline.
• 
  
• The upcoming OPEC+ meeting on November 2nd will be crucial in determining the future oil price trajectory, with analysts predicting a continuation of current production plans.
• 
  

Oil prices were little changed in the current week, with bearish sentiment still ruling the markets after the U.S. agreed to a one-year truce to its trade war with China, despite reports that Indian refiners are ditching Russian oil following fresh U.S. sanctions. Brent crude for December delivery traded at $65.07/bbl at 2.22 pm ET on Friday, a slight drop from $66.48/bbl a week ago, while the corresponding WTI contract was changing hands at $60.92/bbl, down from $61.95/bbl. 

Last week, the Trump administration announced fresh sanctions targeting Russia’s oil and gas giants, Rosneft and Lukoil,  just days after the UK unveiled similar sanctions. Previously, Trump threatened tough measures against Moscow for failing to agree to a peace pact with Ukraine, but had avoided making good on his threats. And now there are reports that Indian refiners are shunning Russian oil in favor of costlier U.S. and Middle Eastern grades in a bid to avoid incurring Trump’s wrath.

Over the past three years, India has been taking advantage of cheap Russian crude, frequently offered at discounts of $8-$12 per barrel over Middle Eastern benchmarks. Russia has consistently been India’s largest supplier since mid-2022, with India buying ~1.75 million barrels per day from Russia at its peak, largely from Lukoil and Rosneft. India typically imports 86% of the oil it consumes. However, the latest round of U.S. sanctions targeting shipping, insurance and trading networks that Indian refiners leveraged to buy Russian oil at scale has narrowed those discounts and raised transaction risks, making Russian oil far less attractive. 

Further, the sanctions have made banks more cautious with settlement channels. Consequently, the share of Russian oil in India’s import basket has declined to 34% in the current year from 36% in the previous two years. In contrast, U.S. crude imports into India surged to 575,000 barrels per day in October, the highest level in three years, signalling a deliberate pivot. India will now have to contend with higher energy bills, “Crude oil prices surged sharply following fresh sanctions on Russian oil majors, sparking tightening supply fears and renewed inflation concerns. This could negatively impact India, as elevated crude prices may widen the fiscal deficit and strain the import bill,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, said.

Commodity analysts at Standard Chartered have predicted that the oil price trajectory will be determined by the quantity of Russian barrels removed from supply following the sanctions. Rosneft and Lukoil exported 1.9 million barrels per day (mb/d) of crude via sea over the past year, most of it to India and China. China also imported ~ 800K barrels of crude per day (kb/d) from Rosneft via pipeline. 

Russia has lately been trying to woo Chinese energy buyers over the past few months: Last month, Gazprom and Beijing signed an agreement to construct the Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline while Rosneft has agreed to supply additional pipeline volumes via Kazakhstan. Russia will likely struggle to replace India and Chinese barrels if they start substituting Russian Urals with barrels from the U.S., Middle East, Brazil, Canada and West Africa.

All eyes will now turn to OPEC+ when its members meet virtually on 2 November. StanChart has predicted that the group will continue with its latest plan of adding 137 kb/d to the market each month, with no good reason for OPEC+ to adjust the strategy at its upcoming meeting.

Meanwhile, Iraq’s compliance with its first month of compensation cuts is also likely to be highly scrutinized. 

The latest compensation plan suggested the OPEC member would decrease its output by an additional 130 kb/d in each of the September and October loadings, nearly enough to offset the barrels added to the market by OPEC+. 

Crude exports from Kurdistan to Türkiye commenced at the end of September after a 2.5-year hiatus, with these exports falling under the total Iraqi production quota. Iraq’s oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani recently revealed that the country’s oil exports are 3.6mb/d, of which ~200kb/d are from Kurdistan. Iraq exported 3.4mb/d of crude in the first nine months of the year, with 64% destined for India and China. It’s not yet clear whether exports were impacted by the fire at the Zubair-1 depot, which was estimated to have cut off 400-600kb/d of Basra medium crude from export markets. Any long-term disruption would make it harder for India and China to replace Russian oil.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com