Russia's seaborne product exports picked up to roughly 1.17 million barrels per day in September, the highest in three months, according to Vortexa data compiled by Bloomberg. The lift came even as diesel sagged badly, with stronger naphtha and fuel oil flows more than making up the difference.
Export volumes reveal how much refining capacity is actually running. Market Briefs covers energy flows free every morning.
Moscow has been curbing diesel exports to bolster domestic supply following Ukrainian attacks on its refineries. Interfax reported officials may let some producers restart exports this month to prevent inventories from piling up. Russia also made its largest road-fuel subsidy payment in more than four years last month as drone attacks continued.
Naphtha jumped 35% to 363,000 barrels per day, and cargoes loaded from Baltic ports were up by nearly 50%, a shift tied to Ukrainian strikes that hindered Black Sea infrastructure. Gasoline and blending components averaged about 19,000 barrels a day, and there were no observed jet fuel shipments. Fuel oil increased by 6% to roughly 613,000 barrels per day, the highest since April, and close to four-fifths of those barrels left from Baltic ports.
Shipments of refinery feedstocks - including vacuum gasoil - averaged about 32,000 barrels per day. Reported cargo sizes and destinations may be updated as more details come in, so treat the figures as provisional rather than final.
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