Russia's Ryazan Oil Refinery Suspends Operations After Drone Strike
Ryazan Oil Refinery Shutdown and Impact
Details of the Drone Attack
July 30 (Reuters) - Russia's Ryazan oil refinery, one of the country's largest plants, halted crude oil processing on Wednesday following a drone attack and could be shut for two weeks, two industry sources told Reuters.
Ukraine said on Wednesday that its military had struck the Rosneft-owned Ryazan oil refinery overnight.
Duration and Response
"The Ryazan refinery stopped operations on Wednesday. The shutdown is expected to last about two weeks," one of the sources said on Thursday.
Rosneft didn't immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Regional and Industrial Impact
Governor's Statement
Ryazan regional governor Pavel Malkov said on Wednesday that Russian air defences had shot down 45 drones overnight over the region. Falling debris caused fires at industrial sites, he said on his Telegram channel.
Operational Challenges
The industry sources said the refinery could be shut for two weeks because after an unscheduled halt, restarting refining operations typically requires significant time to bring primary and secondary processing units back into service, adjust technological processes and restore product quality specifications.
Previous Incidents
The refinery's infrastructure was previously damaged during a drone attack on May 15, which also led to a suspension of operations.
Market and Production Data
Continued Product Sales
Despite the shutdown, the refinery continued selling refined products on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange as of Thursday. Exchange data showed that gasoline and diesel fuel volumes were offered for sale on Thursday.
Production Statistics
According to industry sources, the refinery processed 13.1 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024, accounting for about 4.9% of Russia's total refining throughput. It produced 2.2 million tons of gasoline, 3.4 million tons of diesel fuel and 4.3 million tons of fuel oil last year.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Susan Fenton)
