Australia is due to receive Algerian and Libyan crude shipments within the next fortnight, Vortexa data shows.

Australia occasionally imports Algeria’s flagship light sweet Saharan Blend, while Libyan crude returned to Australia after a multi-year hiatus for the first time in October 2017, in line with the gradual recovery in Libyan production.

Australia’s main crude diet consists of lighter crude grades from Malaysia and the UAE, in addition to other regional suppliers.

Saharan Blend typically arrives in Australia at Brisbane, likely for Caltex’s 110,000 b/d Lytton refinery. The port is due to receive around 1mn bl of Saharan Blend at the beginning of March aboard the vessel Almi Sky.

Libyan crude meanwhile first returned to Australia last year, when the Aframax vessel Seaborne loaded from the Zueitina terminal in early September and performed a ship-to-ship transfer onto the Suezmax vessel Nordic Jupiter in Malaysia, Vortexa data shows. The Suezmax vessel then arrived at the Altona terminal in Melbourne at the end of October, likely for ExxonMobil’s 85,000 b/d Altona refinery.

Another 1mn bl Libyan shipment is due to deliver to Melbourne aboard the vessel Nautic, having loading from Ras Lanuf and Zueitina ports around the beginning of January.