Russian authorities are studying easing requirements for gasoline quality – Kommersant

The Russian authorities are considering the possibility of temporarily reducing the quality requirements for gasoline allowed for circulation on the domestic market in the face of a possible fuel shortage. Writes about this Reuters citing three sources.

“The Ministry of Energy is considering reducing environmental requirements as a backup measure in order to create the basis for additional gasoline production,” the agency’s source said.

Reuters writes that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have led to a reduction in oil refining capacity by about 14%. According to sources, the proposed measure will allow the domestic market to bring from 300 thousand to 350 thousand tons of gasoline per month (about 10%), which will be enough to meet seasonal demand.

Since 2016, as the agency notes, in Russia it is allowed to use gasoline of a quality no lower than Euro-5. Reuters interlocutors say that lowering gasoline quality requirements will allow increasing its production at outdated refineries.

According to Rosstat, over the last week of March, Russian oil refiners reduced gasoline production by 12% compared to the February average. The head of the Ministry of Energy Nikolai Shulginov said that most of the damaged refineries will be put into operation in April-May.

More details in the text “Kommersant” “Gasoline is out of stock”.

Petr Buzlaev