MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia’s seaborne diesel and gasoil exports fell 5% in July from the month before to about 3.26 million metric tons due to lower production amid refinery maintenance and strong domestic demand, according to LSEG shipping data and market sources.
Diesel loadings via the Russian Baltic port of Primorsk, the country’s biggest outlet for exports of ultra low-sulphur diesel (ULSD), totalled 1.26 million tons in July, down 11.3% on a daily basis from June.
Turkey and Brazil remained the main importers of Russian diesel and gasoil last month, shipping data showed.
Diesel and gasoil exports from Russian ports to Turkey fell in July to 1.25 million tons, down 14% from June, while loadings for Brazil decreased 29% from June to 0.37 million tons.
Meanwhile, more than 400,000 tons of diesel loaded in Russian ports are heading to ship-to-ship transfers near the Cypriot port of Limassol for discharge or orders for further destinations, which are unknown yet, shipping data showed.
Russia’s July diesel and gasoil exports to African countries decreased by a quarter from the previous month to about 0.69 million tons, with Morocco, Senegal, Ghana and Libya among the biggest importers, according to LSEG data.
The shipping data also showed that vessels loaded in May with about 110,000 tons of diesel in Russian ports had their destination marked as “for orders,” meaning their discharge points are either not yet known or not declared.
(Reporting by Reuters in Moscow. Editing by Mark Potter)
