The 700,000-barrel cargo was sold at a premium of about $7.50 a barrel to Dubai quotes, the highest since trades registered in January 2020, according to the sources and data on Refinitiv Eikon.

Itochu bought the cargo loading on Jan. 8-14, they said.

ONGC last sold Sokol cargoes for December loading at $5.30-$5.90 a barrel.

(Reporting by Florence Tan; Editing by Tom Hogue, Kirsten Donovan)