Global reinsurers refuse to give cover to Indian refineries using Iran oil

The reinsurers have resorted to such a step in the wake of sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union. Indian insurance companies alone cannot provide insurance cover for refineries as they fall under the high risk category and need substantial reinsurance support.

But most reinsurance companies that provide reinsurance support to Indian firms are complying with the US fiat on sanctions against Iran. Recently, GIC Re, the country’s sole reinsurer, had intimated to general insurers about the situation where any Indian refineries processing Iranian crude cannot recover any claims from the reinsurers.

“We had recently received a request from Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL) for a cover for their single-point mooring (SPM) on discharge of Iranian crude. Consequently, a meeting was arranged of officials from the four public sector undertakings and the cover discussed. It emerged that apparently the refinery processing Iranian crude would also be out of the ambit of any cover and losses would not be payable by the reinsurers on the protection programme of the companies,” said a communication from GIC Re’s chairman AK Roy to the General Insurance Council.

“It also dawned on the insurers that this fact had not been made clear to them that they were uncovered whilst processing Iranian crude owing to the sanctions clause. It is, therefore, felt that the General Insurance Council should organise for

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