Lukoil-Nizhgorodnefteorgsintez Halts Operations Following Ukrainian Drone Attacks, Governor Confirms Damage to Plant Facilities — Reuters

The fourth-largest oil refinery in Russia, known as Lukoil-Nizhgorodnefteorgsintez (NORSI), has halted its operations following a series of drone attacks launched by Ukraine. Reports from Reuters on April 7 indicate that the refinery is unlikely to resume its activities before the end of April this year.

This information has been corroborated by sources within the Russian oil industry contacted by the agency. As noted by Reuters, the temporary closure of the NORSI refinery will exacerbate uncertainty in Russia's energy sector, which has already suffered significant losses due to regular attacks from Ukraine. This is particularly concerning for the largest oil export terminals located on the Black and Baltic Seas.

The governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin, confirmed that two facilities of the NORSI plant were hit during the drone attacks. He also mentioned that the attacks resulted in damage to a power station and several residential buildings, indicating the severity of the situation.

According to data from the St. Petersburg International Commodity Exchange, the Lukoil corporation has not currently put gasoline, diesel fuel, or fuel oil produced at this refinery up for sale. Meanwhile, representatives of Lukoil have not provided comments to Reuters regarding the situation at the plant.

The NORSI refinery is the second-largest gasoline producer in Russia, capable of processing up to 16 million tons of oil per year, which is equivalent to approximately 320,000 barrels per day. This refinery is a critical component of Russia's oil infrastructure, and its shutdown could have serious repercussions for the country's energy sector.

On April 7, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Defense Forces had once again struck the Ust-Luga Oil terminal located in Russia's Leningrad region. Preliminary reports confirmed damage to three tanks owned by Transneft-Baltika as a result of the attack. This facility is an important part of Russia's oil product export infrastructure, with funds generated from it being used to finance military aggression against Ukraine.

Additionally, on April 5, during an attack on the Transneft-Port Primorsk, three RVSP-20000 type tanks were damaged, leading to a fire involving oil products. These tanks have a capacity of 20,000 cubic meters and are used for the long-term storage of oil and other flammable liquids, as explained by Ukrainian officers.

Moreover, during the strike on Lukoil-Nizhgorodnefteorgsintez on April 5, elements of the primary crude oil processing units AVT-6 and AVT-1, as well as the 19/6 unit used in the production of oil bitumen, were damaged. These facts underscore the serious consequences of the attacks on Russian oil refining facilities.