Reuters: Russia's Syzran, Saratov oil refineries halt operations

Rosneft-owned oil refineries in the Russian cities of Syzran and Saratov have suspended crude processing following Ukrainian drone attacks this month, Reuters reports, citing sources.

The sources said the Syzran refinery was shut down on September 15, while the Saratov facility halted operations on September 11.

Russia and Ukraine have continued targeting each other's energy infrastructure this week, despite US President Donald Trump's announcement that the two sides had agreed to stop such attacks.

The refinery shutdowns are expected to further complicate fuel shortages in Russia, which has already imposed restrictions on exports of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

Rosneft did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Several facilities at the Syzran refinery were damaged in a drone attack, including its main CDU-6 crude distillation unit, according to the sources. The unit has a capacity of 17,100 metric tons per day, representing around 71% of the refinery's total processing capacity.

The sources made clear that repairs at the Syzran facility could take at least a month.

The refinery's second crude distillation unit, CDU-5, has a capacity of 7,100 tons per day, accounting for the remaining 29%. It was already undergoing repairs following a previous drone attack in July when the refinery was struck again on 15 September.

Meanwhile, the Saratov refinery has been unable to process crude since 11 September following another drone attack.

The facility had also suspended operations on 8 September after equipment was damaged and fires broke out during an earlier drone strike, according to the sources.

The refinery had been preparing to resume crude processing on 10-11 September, the sources said.

Saratov had previously been forced to halt operations for several weeks following a drone attack on 2 August.

The Syzran refinery, located in Russia's Samara region, has a nameplate crude processing capacity of 8.5 million tons per year, equivalent to 150,000 barrels per day.

The Saratov refinery has an annual capacity of 7.0 million metric tons, or 140,000 barrels per day.

Separate industry sources said Syzran processed 4.3 million tons of crude in 2024, producing 0.8 million tons of gasoline, 1.5 million tons of diesel and 0.7 million tons of fuel oil.

The Saratov refinery processed 5.8 million tons of crude that year, producing 1.2 million tons of gasoline, 1.9 million tons of diesel fuel and 1.0 million tons of fuel oil, according to the sources.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov