Russia’s October Seaborne Diesel Exports Fall on Ban, Maintenance

MOSCOW, Nov 3 (Reuters) – Seaborne diesel and gasoil exports from Russian ports fell 11% in October from a month earlier to about 2.55 million metric tons due to major maintenance work at refineries and a fuel export ban, data from traders and LSEG showed.

Idle primary oil refining capacity for October stood at 4.915 million tons, down by around 1.9% from September, according to Reuters calculations.

Russia temporarily banned exports of gasoline and diesel from Sept. 21 to cope with a domestic shortage, but lifted restrictions on bunker fuel and high sulfur gasoil.

The embargo was partially lifted on Oct. 9 with Russia resuming ULSD exports via Transneft pipelines provided that the manufacturer supplies at least 50% of the produced diesel fuel to the domestic market.

Total October diesel loadings from Russia’s port of Primorsk, the main outlet for ULSD exports and completely dependent on pipeline shipments, rose by 10% month on month and by 40% from an initial plan to 977,000 tons, according to LSEG data and traders.

EXPORT DESTINATIONS

Though Turkey remained the main destination for Russian diesel and gasoil seaborne exports in October, fuel shipments fell month on month by 43% to about 605,000 tons, LSEG data shows.

About 180,000 tons of diesel loaded in Russian ports in October does not yet have a confirmed destination and some of it could also be shipped to Turkey.

Diesel loadings to Brazil from Russian ports increased by 0.8% from September to 590,000 tons, the shipping data showed.

Last month about 680,000 tons of diesel and gasoil from Russian ports were heading to African countries including Libya, Togo, Morocco, Senegal and Ivory Coast, LSEG data showed.

Another 270,000 tons of diesel from Russia in October was destined for ship-to-ship transfers near the Greek port of Kalamata with final destinations for these cargoes not yet known.

All the shipping data above are based on the date of cargo departure.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Jason Neely)

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