OilPricedotcom: "As Ukraine Cripples Russian Refining, Global Diesel Markets Pay the Price."
"Ukrainian drone {+ missile] strikes have crippled Russia's refining sector, cutting crude processing to its lowest level since 2005."
Moscow has responding by withdrawing 1 fuel after another from export. "First, Russia banned gasoline exports in April because domestic production had little surplus." Next, Moscow banned jet fuel exports on June 1, amid tightening demand, followed by a ban on diesel exports on July 8." The diesel ban now covers oil companies that refine their own crude, removing an earlier exemption that allowed large producers to continue selling abroad.
But export bans have been insufficient, so now Russia pays to import finished products. At least 60,000 tonnes of gasoline reportedly arrived from India. "Additionally, gasoline shipments from Belarus reached 141,000 tonnes during the first 25 days of June, 2.4 times the volume imported during all of May." Being globally interconnected, Russian diesel withdrawal has tightened a market already losing product shipments from the Middle East conflict.
"Omsk lies more than 2,000 kilometers from the front and processed about 22 million tonnes of crude in 2024, making it Russia’s largest refinery." By looking at the map, you can appreciate how far the Omsk refinery is from Ukraine. Yet these strikes continue to get through.
The attacks in Iran + the attacks in Russia dramatically illustrate the risks of American fossil fuel dependence. I will continue to enjoy driving my EV—charging at home with sunshine—this patriotically supports both personal + national resilience.
