Russia's diesel exports jump 19% in January m/m
Russia's seaborne diesel and gasoil exports rose 19% in January from the previous month to around 4.0 MM tonnes (t) as a seasonal drop in domestic demand prompted traders to ship more overseas, data from market sources and LSEG showed.
Exports however were 4.6% below the level of January 2025 as maintenance, drone attacks and other factors affected output, the data showed.
Shipments of ultra-low-sulfur diesel via the Baltic port of Primorsk, Russia’s biggest port for diesel exports, jumped 32.4% on the month to a record 2.256 MMt, supported by increased production, the sources said.
In contrast, diesel loadings from the southern port of Tuapse dropped last month by almost half to 230,000 t after a drone attack on December 31 damaged equipment at Rosneft’s nearby export‑oriented Tuapse refinery and one port berth.
The port resumed loadings about two weeks later, supplied by rail from other Rosneft‑controlled refineries.
Turkey and Brazil remained the largest buyers of Russian diesel and gasoil last month, but tankers carrying around 0.7 MMt of fuel in total have yet to declare their discharge ports, LSEG data showed.
Another group of vessels carrying roughly 0.55 MMt of Russian diesel is heading towards anchorages near Port Said, Egypt and Cyprian Limassol.
Some of those cargoes could be reloaded via ship-to-ship transfers (STS) and potentially sent to Asian markets, traders said.
At least one tanker with around 100,000 t of diesel loaded in Primorsk lists Malaysia as its destination.
Rising flows of Russian oil products into STS operations may be linked to intensifying Western sanctions pressure, market sources added.
Severe frosts in the Baltic Sea requiring Ice2-class vessels, combined with planned maintenance on domestic refineries, could curb diesel exports from Russian ports in February, traders said.
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