Ukrainian forces attacked about 30 oil refineries in aggressor state Russia — OilPrice
Ukrainian forces have carried out more than 100 drone attacks on oil refineries in Russia, the aggressor state, in recent months. According to OilPrice, citing The Wall Street Journal, about 30 refineries accounting for 80% of the country’s total refining capacity were targeted.
Before the attacks, Russia’s refining capacity stood at 6.1 million barrels per day. Consulting firm Industrial Info Resources estimates that the combined capacity of the damaged facilities has declined to 1.6 million barrels per day.
As OilPrice notes, amid strikes on fuel infrastructure, Russia previously banned diesel fuel exports and restricted gasoline exports. The publication believes this worsened the situation with global fuel supplies.
Russia claims refining has been restored
Reuters, citing unnamed industry sources, reported that refining volumes in Russia increased by 25% between the beginning and the second half of October, to about 5 million barrels per day. According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, the use of domestically produced equipment made it possible to restore refineries.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
At the same time, OilPrice emphasizes that increased refining does not mean a full return to previous volumes, while the risk of new attacks on Russian facilities remains.
Pressure on the global fuel market
According to OilPrice’s assessment, Russia’s refining problems are compounded by damage to oil refining infrastructure in the Persian Gulf states. Yemen’s Houthis claimed an attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, but Saudi authorities did not confirm the strike.
International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol warned that oil and natural gas prices will remain high next year, while prices for petroleum products are even higher. OilPrice links this to limited opportunities to quickly compensate for the loss of refining capacity.
