Moscow Refinery Halts Crude Processing After Drone Strike Damages Units
Gazprom Neft's Moscow refinery has stopped crude processing after drone strikes sparked fires at both primary distillation units, with repairs expected to take weeks.
Crude oil processing has come to a standstill at Gazprom Neft's Moscow refinery after fires broke out at both of its primary crude distillation units following a Ukrainian drone attack on September 20, according to industry sources.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a Telegram post on Sunday morning that an industrial facility on the refinery's grounds had been damaged during the drone raid on the capital.
The sources said drones crashed onto the site, igniting both primary units, and warned that repairing the damage and bringing operations back online could take several weeks.
Gazprom Neft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The refinery's two main processing trains account for its full crude distillation capacity. The AVT-6 unit can handle 21,400 metric tons per day, or 53% of the total, while the EURO+ combined facility accounts for the remaining 47% at 18,800 tons per day.
Since September 21, fuel from the plant has not been offered for sale on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange.
In 2024, the refinery processed 11.6 million tons of crude oil — roughly 230,000 barrels per day — and turned out 2.9 million tons of gasoline, 3.2 million tons of diesel and 1.3 million tons of bitumen, the sources said.