The “Great Oil Power” Is Once Again Running Short of Petrol

A new fuel crisis is brewing in russia: the shortage of AI-95 petrol is already spilling over beyond exchange reports and hitting the domestic market. Due to the authorities’ disastrous decisions, chronic problems at oil refineries and the consequences of the war, russian oil companies are trying to save the situation by cutting production of the popular petrol.

According to industry analysts, the unmet demand for AI-95 in the rf has already exceeded 26,000 tons. The reasons are emergency and unscheduled refinery repairs, a drop in oil processing volumes and the traditional seasonal surge in demand. Against a background of resource shortages, russian companies are shifting capacity to the cheaper AI-92, which the kremlin considers a “socially significant” fuel.

Despite official statements from the russian ministry of energy about “stability”, exchange prices are rising. AI-95 already costs almost 72,000 rubles per ton, and prices on the over-the-counter market are by about 10% higher. At the same time, market participants themselves acknowledge that there is a shortage of fuel and that supply is limited.

russia’s authorities are attempting to conceal the scale of the problem with their usual reassuring statements about “sufficient stocks” and “stable logistics”. But the reality is quite different: major refineries are undergoing widespread maintenance for at least a month, which prevents the build-up of reserves ahead of the summer season. As a result, the risk of a large-scale petrol shortage this summer is only growing.

russians themselves are already openly talking about the need to switch cars to gas, as petrol is becoming increasingly expensive and less accessible. Against the background of a protracted war and sanctions, the resource “superpower” is increasingly resembling a country with chronic shortages of basic goods.

It is telling that in just one year, petrol prices in tatarstan have risen by almost 16%. AI-92 has risen in price by 16.8%, AI-95 – by 15%. And this – despite all the kremlin’s claims of a “stable economy” and “energy independence”.