SINGAPORE, Aug 22 (Reuters) -Middle East crude benchmark Dubai nudged higher on Thursday after Vitol and Gunvor bought more partials on the window, supporting prices.

Spot premiums for Oman and Murban also inched higher although physical trade was muted with most of the refiners having fulfilled their baseload requirements.

RUSSIA CRUDE

India overtook China as the world's biggest importer of Russian oil in July as Chinese refiners bought less because of lower profit margins from producing fuels, a comparison of import data showed.

Russian crude made up a record 44% of India's overall imports last month, rising to a record 2.07 million barrels per day (bpd), 4.2% higher than in June and 12% more than a year ago, data on Indian shipments from trade and industry sources showed.

India's rising purchases are changing the flow of Russian ESPO Blend crude from traditional Chinese buyers to South Asia. ESPO imports to India jumped in July to 188,000 bpd as larger Suezmax vessels were used, according to the data.

SINGAPORE CASH DEALS

Cash Dubai's premium to swaps rose 8 cents to 87 cents a barrel.

PRICES ($/BBL)

REFINERY

Singapore Refining Company (SRC) has shut a crude distillation unit (CDU) at its refinery on Jurong Island for scheduled maintenance until September, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The overhaul is likely to last until around the second half of September, they said, without elaborating on whether other refining units at the site were affected.

NEWS

U.S. crude stocks, gasoline and distillate inventories all fell by more than expected in the week ending August 16 as demand and exports rose, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday.

Indonesia plans to implement biodiesel containing a mandatory 40% blend of palm oil-based fuel from Jan. 1 next year, senior energy ministry official Eniya Listiani Dewi said on Thursday.

U.S. oilfield services firm Halliburton HAL.N on Wednesday was hit by a cyberattack, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Nigeria will start selling crude oil in its naira currency to the Dangote refinery from Oct. 1, the finance ministry said in a statement, in a move aimed at easing foreign exchange pressure on the country's main oil refinery.

For crude prices, oil product cracks and refining margins, please click on the RICs below.

Reporting by Florence Tan; Editing by Eileen Soreng

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