Gazprom Halts Motor Fuel Production at Astrakhan Plant After Drone Attack
Impact and Details of the Astrakhan Plant Incident
Incident Overview
MOSCOW, May 14 (Reuters) - Gazprom's gas processing plant in Russia's southern Astrakhan region has halted motor fuel production after a fire broke out on May 13 following a drone attack, two industry sources told Reuters.
Production Suspension and Facility Details
They said the plant suspended operations, including a combined unit for processing stable condensate with capacity of 3 million metric tons per year, which produces gasoline and diesel at the facility.
Official Statements
Astrakhan local governor Igor Babushkin reported in his Telegram channel on Wednesday that debris from a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at a gas processing plant.
Estimated Recovery Timeline
According to the sources, restoring motor fuel output could take from several weeks to several months.
Company Response and Plant History
Gazprom did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Recent Operational History
One of the sources said the Astrakhan plant had been offline since September last year and resumed condensate processing and motor fuel production only weeks before the latest attack in April.
Extent of Damage
Equipment Affected
The second source said equipment for hydrogen sulphide processing and sulphur recovery was also damaged in the drone attack.
Production Output Statistics
The Astrakhan plant processed 1.8 million tons of stable gas condensate in 2024, produced 800,000 tons of gasoline, 600,000 tons of diesel and 300,000 tons of fuel oil, the industry sources said.
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Barbara Lewis)
