Russian exports of gas oil and gasoline fell in August due to higher customs duties and increased demand for the fuels on the domestic market, data provided by the Energy Ministry showed. Russian oil companies exported 86,219 tonnes per day of gas oil in the first 27 days of August, down by 5.7 percent from 91,390 tonnes per day in the first 30 days of July.
Exports of gasoline, which usually amount to just around 10 percent of total sales of the fuel, fell by 14.7 percent to 9,167 tonnes per day from 10,740 tonnes per day in July. To see a table on Russian refined products sales in August click on. Traders said that the main reason behind lower exports of gas oil and gasoline was the increase in export duties, which rose by 23.5 percent to a record of $346.4 per tonne of light oil products from August.
The increase of the duty led domestic prices for gas oil to rise to 5,000 roubles ($202.8) per tonne, or 24 percent, higher than the export price, adjusted for transportation costs, in the beginning of the month. Higher seasonal demand, mainly from agriculture and railway companies, also supported domestic prices for gasoil and gasoline.
Exports of gasoline were also hit by maintenance held at reforming units - in charge of the fuel's production - at some of the refineries, such as Surgut's Kirishi plant and Rosneft's Kuibyshev refinery. The Energy Ministry data showed that exports of fuel oil rose by 0.9 percent to 123,259 tonnes per day in the first 27 days of August compared with 122,110 tonnes per day in the first 30 days of July.