The reason for the drop in production was unscheduled repairs after the drone attack and a reduction in margins.
By the end of this year, Russian refineries processed 8.1 million tons less oil than last year. The total volume is expected to be 266.9 million tons. This is the lowest minimum number since 2012, when refineries processed 265.4 million tons of raw materials, Reuters reported, citing analyst estimates.
It was mentioned that the reason for the fall was unscheduled maintenance after the drone attack and reduction in margins.
According to the agency, by 2025, Russian refineries can increase oil refining by 1-5% or, in the worst case scenario, stabilize the current figure.
The reduction in oil refining in Russian refineries in 2024 compared to 2023 is mainly due to the downtime of the main units at Tuapse Refinery (-5.5 million tons, -59.6%), Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez Refinery (-3.4 million tons, – 21.8%) and Novoshakhtinskaya ZNP (-1.5 million tons -31.4%), according to sources.
Among the leaders in the decline, only Nizhny NovgorodNOS produces commercial motor fuel, so the general reduction in the load of the main processes did not lead to a proportional decrease in fuel production.
At the same time, in 2024, a number of large refineries producing commercial gasoline and diesel fuel (Omsk, Achinsk, Kuibyshev Refinery, Gazpromneftekhim Salavat) increased their load compared to the previous year, compensating for the losses of idle plants.
According to Reuters calculations, total downtime of primary processing at Russian refineries in January-December 2024 reached 41.1 million tons or 12.6% of available capacity. The annual volume of retired primary capacity was 5.2 million tons (+14.4%) higher than last year (35.9 million tons). The downtime of the main capacity increased in December by 35% compared to the previous plan.
We remind you that on December 19, a major fire occurred at an oil refinery in Novoshakhtinsk. Eyewitnesses wrote about a large number of drones, as well as a possible missile strike.
The largest oil refinery in southern Russia has stopped after Ukrainian strikes – media
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.