Russia Begins Importing Gasoline Following Attacks on Energy Infrastructure
The country, one of the world's leading oil producers, has chosen to source gasoline from foreign markets due to production disruptions.
Russia, whose refinery operations have been disrupted as a result of Ukraine's attacks on energy facilities, has begun importing gasoline and extended its export ban to close the supply gap in the domestic market.
Interruptions at Refining Facilities
In August, numerous refineries such as Orsk, TANECO, Ilsky, Bashneft-Novoil, and Yaroslavl were targeted by attacks. Since the end of July, production interruptions have been observed at the Volgograd, Saratov, and Ryazan facilities.
According to expert estimates, the amount of crude oil processed in Russian refineries dropped to a daily average of 3.7 million barrels in July, remaining 28 percent below last year's average.
Export Ban and Import Move
The Moscow administration decided to extend the temporary ban on gasoline exports until January 31, 2027, in order to alleviate supply tightness in the domestic market.
According to vessel tracking data, the country has imported over 1 million barrels of gasoline by sea since the end of July and secured supplies from various external sources.
Shipments from Different Countries
A total of 1.006 million barrels of Indian-origin gasoline were shipped to Russia via Egypt, while a cargo of 300,000 barrels loaded from Morocco also reached the country.
In addition to incoming shipments, it was reported that gasoline was also supplied from neighboring countries such as Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Impacts on Global Markets
According to International Energy Agency data, Russia's oil product exports decreased by 400,000 barrels per day in July compared to the previous month, falling to 1.4 million barrels.
These developments indicate that the refining system has weakened significantly, and it is stated that this situation may create pressure on the global petroleum products market.