Russia’s Astrakhan gas processing plant, overseen by energy behemoth Gazprom (GAZP.MM), ceased the production of petroleum products after experiencing a repair-related interruption on March 30, as confirmed by the company on Tuesday in response to an earlier report from Reuters. A spokesperson disclosed that the primary condensate processing unit underwent a brief halt on March 30 for the repair of a technological pipeline at the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant.
The repair work concluded on April 1, with plans to resume the production of light petroleum products. However, specific details regarding the resumption timeline were not provided. Earlier reports from industry sources indicated that the plant had halted diesel and gasoline production on March 31 due to unforeseen maintenance activities. Situated along the Caspian Sea coast, the Astrakhan gas processing plant is anticipated to initiate production restart efforts by Sunday, according to one source.
While the plant’s capacity may not be significantly impactful on Russia’s overall production, its temporary shutdown is likely to contribute to concerns in Moscow regarding broader refinery capacity disruptions resulting from Ukrainian drone attacks. Traders received notifications from the St Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange regarding the suspension of diesel and gasoline sales from the plant due to the unplanned cessation of oil product output.
The facility has the capability to process approximately 8,340 metric tons of gas condensate daily. In 2023, it generated 703,000 tons of gasoline (1.6% of Russia’s total), along with 492,000 tons of diesel (0.6%) and 299,000 tons of fuel oil (0.7%).