Oil Refineries








Asia

North America

Energy Markets

Workers at Venezuela's smallest refinery say that the catalytic cracker has been restarted in the refinery.

Venezuela's smallest ?refinery, the 146,000-barrel-per-day ?El Palito ?in ?the country's central region, has restarted its fluid catalytic cracker (FCC), key for producing motor fuel, four workers said on Monday. After twin quakes in late June, the refinery's operational units have been slowly reactivated in recent days. The 'FCC' is in operation and we are working to increase (production)," said one of the workers. He added that it took several attempts to get the unit into service and now processes 35,000 bpd. On the weekend, the country's oil minister said that fuel supplies were guaranteed in all areas including the coastal...

Fossil Fuels

Iran media reports that the fire at a western Iranian mini refinery has been contained.

The semi-official YJC Iranian news agency, citing a local source, reported that a fire which broke out on Friday?at 'the Oxin Palayesh'mini-refinery' in Iran's western Lorestan Province has been put out. YJC quoted the safety manager at Lorestan Industrial Estates Company as saying that the fire was contained to a 'barrel of waste oil' and 'didn’t spread to refinery facilities or storing tanks. Iranian state media reported earlier that a fire had broken out just after 5 pm local time, sending a thick smoke column over Poldokhtar. Firefighters initially struggled to contain the blaze due to its 'intensity' and presence...

Fossil Fuels

Weekly gain in oil heads as Middle East supply risk persists

The oil price fell on 'Friday, but remained on course for a weekly gain as renewed U.S. - Iran fighting disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. This stoked concerns about supply disruptions. Brent futures fell 68 cents or 0.9% to $75.62 per barrel at 0817 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), which is a blend of U.S. and Canadian crudes, fell 64 cents or 0.9% to $71.44. Brent was expected to gain about 5% this week and WTI would increase by about 4%. Vandana Hari, an analyst at Vanda Insights who provides oil market analyses, said that although...

Refined Products

After Ukrainian drones attacked Russia's largest refinery, motorists queue up for fuel in Omsk

After a drone attack on the largest oil refinery in Russia, motorists in the city of 'Omsk are lining up for fuel. This is one of the most serious attacks by the Ukrainians inside Russia since?the start of the war. Video showed a?but orderly? line of cars waiting at a fuel station on Monday evening, just hours after the terrorist attack. Witnesses in the Siberian City reported that there were longer queues Tuesday, but they were still manageable -- only around 20 minutes. Fuel was also available. Some people on the social network VKontakte complained about drivers who they called...

Oil Refineries

In one of the deepest strikes ever, Ukrainian drones strike Russia's largest refinery.

Kyiv’s military confirmed on Monday that Ukrainian drones had'struck' Russia's Omsk Refinery, located deep in Siberia and the largest refinery in the country. This would have been 'one of the longest ranged' Ukrainian strikes since the beginning of the war. Local Russian authorities also confirmed a strike. Ukraine's General Staff released a statement in which it stated that the strike caused an fire at the Omsk Refinery. The refinery is located around 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles), away from Ukrainian territory, and near the border between Russia and Kazakhstan. Vitaly Khotsenko said that Ukraine attacked the refinery and said that Russian...

Oil Storage

Americans still hit the road for July 4th despite high gas prices

The Americans are preparing for the Fourth of July, despite gasoline prices that are still high and well above their historical averages. The ease of tensions between?U.S. The easing of tensions between the?U.S. Despite recent drops, this weekend motorists will pay the second highest Independence Day fuel prices in history. Last week, the price-tracking service GasBuddy predicted that the average gasoline price in the United States would be $3.75 per gallon by July 4. This is behind the record $4.80 per liter set on July 4th 2022. GasBuddy reports that the national average gasoline price was $3.772 per gallon on...

Energy Markets

Americans still hit the road on July 4th despite high gas prices

The Fourth of July holiday is fast approaching and Americans are not deterred by the high gasoline prices. They remain well above historical levels. Fuel prices have been lowered by the easing of tensions in the U.S.-Iran relationship. This is due to fears of disruptions of oil shipments across Strait of Hormuz. The price of gasoline is expected to be the second highest ever for Independence Day this weekend, despite recent drops. GasBuddy, a price-tracking service, predicted last week that the average gasoline price in the United States would be $3.75 per gallons on July 4. This is behind only...

Fossil Fuels

US gasoline prices fall for the sixth consecutive week

The U.S.-Iran diplomatic relationship has resulted in a reduction of gasoline prices for Americans. This is the sixth consecutive 'weekly drop, and a 15% decrease from the peak reached in May. According to GasBuddy, the?national average gasoline price fell by 14.1 cents per gallon in the past week. It was $3.85 a gallon on Sunday. Prices fell in the majority of states. GasBuddy data revealed that gasoline prices dropped by 25 cents per gallon over the last week in Colorado, 22 cents in Arizona, and 21 cents (per gallon) in Ohio. This drop could ease the pressure on 'U.S. Donald...

Oil Refineries

Russell: There is plenty of crude oil in Asia, but the refined fuels are scarce.

Asia's crude oil imports are expected to return to pre-Iran Conflict levels, but the flow of refined products is still constrained. Fuel prices reflect this supply stress. According to data compiled by Kpler, the world's largest energy consumer region is expected to import 22.18 millions barrels of crude per day in June. This represents an increase from 20.35million bpd imported in May. The arrivals in June are still below the 26.76m bpd average for the three months leading up to the United States' and Israel's attack on Iran, which took place on February 28. The figures are still well above...

Oil & Gas Refining

U.S. gasoline drops below $4 per gallon for the first time since April

U.S. retail gasoline prices fell below $4 per gallon for first time since April, as optimism grew about a preliminary agreement between the U.S. and Iran, which could lead to a reopening of Strait of Hormuz - a vital passageway for oil supplies around the world. Crude oil prices fell by more than $4 per barrel after U.S. president Donald Trump announced the U.S.-Iran had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to end the near four-month conflict. However, it is still unclear whether this agreement will last. The drop in fuel prices may provide some relief for the Trump administration. They...

Oil Refineries

U.S. gasoline drops below $4 per gallon for the first time since April

U.S. retail gasoline prices fell below $4 per gallon for a first time since mid-April. This was due to optimism that a preliminary deal between the U.S., Iran, and other countries would lead to the reopening of Strait of Hormuz – a vital passageway for oil supplies around the world. Crude oil prices fell by more than $4 per barrel after U.S. president Donald Trump announced the U.S.-Iran had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to end the near four-month conflict. However, it is still unclear whether this agreement will last. The drop in fuel prices may provide some relief for...

Refined Products

Fuel stations run out of fuel in Crimea after a new night of Ukrainian drone attacks

Witnesses reported that fuel stations in the Russian-held Crimean Peninsula?were?out of petrol on Thursday as the escalating Ukrainian campaign to cut off supply lines into the peninsula?. A? A witness in Sevastopol said that most petrol stations in the city were out of fuel. Supplies are struggling to keep up even with the recent rationing. Another said that in Yevpatoriya's resort town, there was a queue of people waiting outside the only petrol station. Ukraine has intensified drone strikes against supply lines for the peninsula that Russia captured from Kyiv in 2014. Local authorities have implemented fuel rationing, and some...

Europe

Oil Refineries

Sources say that Russia is seeking more gasoline from India following the Ukraine attack on refineries

Two sources with knowledge of the situation said that top Russian energy companies approached Indian refiners to request more gasoline following Ukrainian strikes which knocked out a large portion of Russia's refueling capacity. India is Russia's largest buyer of seaborne crude oil. Moscow's attempt to secure Indian gasoline represents a reversal of their energy relationship and highlights the impact of the Ukrainian attacks. Moscow is experiencing its worst gasoline shortage. One source with knowledge on the subject said that at least one cargo of Indian gas has already been shipped to Russia. More are expected. Nearly 40% of Russia's refinery...

Energy Markets

Sevastopol in Crimea cuts off power after Ukrainian attack

Local authorities said that Sevastopol - one of the largest cities in Russian controlled Crimea - is limiting its power supply after overnight Ukrainian attacks. Crimea has already imposed restrictions on the use of gasoline due to fuel shortages resulting from Ukrainian strikes against oil refineries and logistic infrastructure. Mikhail Razvozhayev is the?governor? of Sevastopol who was installed in Moscow. He said that electricity will be?supplied for two hours followed by six-hour outages?. "I know how difficult it is. That's why we are doing everything possible to stabilize the situation. He said that a team of specialists was working on...

Crude Oil

Singapore's oil products inventories fall to a two-week low

Official data on Thursday showed that oil product inventories in Singapore, a key trading hub in Asia, have eased after a recovery last week. This was primarily due to a drop in stocks across the barrel. Enterprise Singapore's data shows that the combined onshore oil products stocks were 40.45 millions barrels during the week ending July 1, a decrease of 4.1% compared to last week. The weekly average for June was 37.5 million barrels. Following an interim agreement between the U.S.A. and Iran, the markets are preparing for a gradual improvement in supply as more ships begin to leave the...

Middle East

North Asia

Fossil Fuels

Taganrog evacuates following drone attack on Taganrog's Ilsky Oil Refinery

Local officials said that a drone strike caused the fire at the Ilsky oil refinery in southern Krasnodar, and authorities in Taganrog evacuated residents after another strike. The authorities reported that preliminary information indicated no injuries. In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on 'Russia's energy infrastructure and other infrastructure to undermine Moscow’s war effort. The Ilsky refinery with its capacity of?around 138,000 barrels per day has been attacked before. Fuel shortages and price increases across Russia are a result of the attacks on oil refineries. Yury Slyusar, the Governor of Rostov, said on Telegram that fires are being...

Refined Products

Can it deliver? Who will buy and how much crude oil can OPEC+ increase? Russell

Two questions are raised by the decision of OPEC+, to increase crude production quotas a fifth consecutive month? from August. Who will purchase the product if they are able to ship it? At a Sunday meeting, the'seven core members' of OPEC+ (which groups together OPEC, as well as other producers like Russia) agreed to increase quotas - by 188,000 barrels a day starting August. This will bring the 'total increase since April to nearly 800,000 bpd. The first question can be answered positively if the Strait of Hormuz remains open and the volume of water flowing through the narrow waterway...

Oil & Gas

Zelenskiy: Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery, missile component factory

Ukraine has hit a Russian refinery in Ufa for the second consecutive time, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, said on Wednesday. Kyiv is intensifying its strikes in Russia. "Our plan to impose Ukrainian long-range sanction is being implemented every day," Zelenskiy said, referring the Ukrainian attacks deep within Russian territory. "This is a completely just response to everything Russia does against us." Zelenskiy reported that a strike was also carried out on a Russian military-industrial complex he described as "strategic", located in the Penza area, which he claimed made components for missile weapons used by Moscow to attack Ukraine....

Oil Refineries

Russell: Crude oil imports to Asia from the ROI grew in June, but there is still uncertainty.

Asia's crude oil imports by sea?rose slightly in June, but remained near their lowest levels in over a decade due to the impact of the?Iran Conflict on shipments from Middle East. Data from commodity analysts Kpler show that the top importing region will receive 20,71 million barrels of oil per day in June. This is up a fraction from the?20.39million bpd received in May and almost 2 million bpd more than the 18,77million bpd achieved in April. The imports of Asia remain well below the average 26.79 millions bpd for the three-month period prior to the United States' and Israel's...

Energy Markets

Russell: India pivots towards Russian crude and coal in order to reduce the Iran war's fallout.

After the Iran conflict, when oil flows were disrupted and costs rose, India began to buy Russian coal and crude oil to boost its energy supplies. According to Kpler, commodity analysts, the world's third largest oil importer will see Russian crude arrivals surge to a new record of 2,55 million barrels a day (bpd). The imports of Russian goods in June?would have been higher than the 2.13million bpd recorded in May. This was?the?third-highest record, and only behind the 2.16million bpd registered for May 2023. In June, Russia's share will be slightly less than 50% of India's total crude oil imports...

Jet Fuel

Data shows that Indian jet fuel exports back to Europe will reach 2025 levels.

Kpler and LSEG data shows that India's exports to Europe of?jet-fuel from Russia have risen to levels not seen before the EU imposed a ban on russian-origin fuel in January. Data from Kpler indicates that the EU imported 62,000 barrels of jet fuel per day from India's Jamnagar Refinery to Italy. LSEG data also shows that the EU imports around 64,000 bpd?fuel. Both data platforms indicate that imports have been at their highest level since December 2025, when they were around 89,000 bpd. The European Union banned products made from Russian oil on January 21, aiming to curb oil revenues...

Oil Refineries

Singapore's oil products inventories fall to a near 13-year low

Official data on Thursday showed that oil product inventories in Asia's main trading hub Singapore fell to their lowest level?in almost 13 years. This was due to a'sharp' decline in residual fuel stocks as the Middle East conflict continued. Enterprise Singapore's data shows that the combined onshore oil products stocks fell to 34.41 millions barrels during the week ending June 10. This is the lowest level since July 2013. The oil inventories at global storage hubs are shrinking, as Middle Eastern shipments continue to be curtailed by the U.S. - Iran?war. In the week ending June 10, inventories of residual...

Oil Refineries

NATO kills drone in Latvian airspace - army

NATO fighter jets shot down on Monday a 'drone' that entered Latvian airspace from Russia, according to the Baltic nation's military. This is the latest incident in a long line of security incidents near Europe's eastern borders. The origin of the drone was not immediately known. In recent months, Ukraine has increased its long-ranged drone attacks against Russia, including the Baltic Sea region, where several Ukrainian military aircraft have entered the airspace of Finland and Latvia. In a social media post, the Latvian army stated that "Allied fighter 'jets successfully shot down a drone which was flying into Latvian Airspace!"...

Energy Markets

Russia admits first time oil production is down and blames it on 'unscheduled Maintenance'

Alexander Novak, the Deputy Premier, said that the Russian oil production had fallen since the beginning of the year. He blamed the drop on unplanned refinery maintenance. Novak's remarks mark the first time that a Russian official acknowledged a decline in production this year. In April 2023 the world's third largest oil producer stopped publishing data about oil production, less than a year after it began its war with Ukraine. Novak didn't specify the reason for the refinery repairs, but Ukraine intensified its attacks on Russian refineries over recent months. Novak, a reporter at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum,...

Refined Products

Zelenskiy claims that the Ukrainian military can strike Russian logistical systems throughout occupied territories

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the President of Ukraine, said on Monday that Ukraine was now capable of 'hitting Russian logistical?throughout occupied areas of Ukraine' and had caused shortages of fuel throughout Crimea and Russian-held regions. In his video nightly address, Zelenskiy said: "Our troops can now reach Russian military logistic across the?entire depth of the temporarily-occupied territories." "In reality, there are virtually?no roads safe for the occupiers in the south and the east of our country." In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its?strikes against targets at medium range and others hundreds of kilometers away from Ukraine's border. It is focusing on Russia’s...

Crude Oil

Russell: It's not about altruism, but economics that's driving China's crude imports to slump.

China's imports of crude oils by sea fell to their lowest level in nearly 10 years in may as a result of the Iran War. This led to a drastic reorganization of operations for the world's largest oil importer. According to data compiled by Kpler, seaborne arrivals of crude oil were down to 6.36 million barrels each day in May from 8.10 in April. This was the lowest since October 2016. The imports also fell by a little over half of the 11,39 million bpd that Kpler recorded for February. This was the 'last full month' before the U.S.-Israeli attack...

Energy Markets

Fire at Russian oil terminal caused by falling drone debris

Officials said that falling?debris? from drones caused a fire to start at an oil terminal in Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Two people were injured. In a Telegram post, the General Headquarters of southern Krasnodar region said that several administrative and technical buildings were on fire. It said that debris had fallen onto the oil storage terminal of the facility. Emergency services were on the scene, according to the headquarters. The injured men were in the street at the time the drones struck the port. They are now being treated in hospital. Unofficial Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels have...