Kyiv Independent reports:
“Russian companies are facing difficulties in repairing oil refineries due to Western sanctions, and Ukrainian drone attacks could worsen the problem, Reuters reported on April 4, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia’s oil industry. A total of 12 Russian oil refineries were reportedly successfully hit in multiple regions deep inside Russian territory as of March 17.
There was only one company that knew how to repair the gasoline-producing unit at Lukoil PJSC’s NORSI plant in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, which was attacked on March 12. It was an American multinational oil engineering company UOP that withdrew from Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, five sources told Reuters.
After engineers were unable to find spare parts for repairs, “the whole unit just stopped,” according to Reuters’s sources.
The unit, which is used to convert heavier hydrocarbons into gasoline, has been out of service since January, and it is unclear when it can be repaired due to a lack of expertise in Russia, Reuters reported.
The fourth-biggest Russian refinery, NORSI, reduced gasoline production by 40% as a result, two sources told Reuters.”