Country Analysis Note
While Estonia does not have significant conventional oil or natural gas resources of its own, it is a transit country for Russian oil en route to the Baltic Sea. More than 300,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) of mostly refined petroleum products was exported via Muuga and other ports in 2011.
Estonia does, however, stand out as one of the few producers of oil shale in the world and has mined it since 1916.
Estonia produced 11,000 bbl/d of petroleum liquids from oil shale in 2011. There are three oil shale producers in Estonia: VKG Oil, Eesti Energia (Enefit), and Kiviõli Keemiatööstus. Enefit, the Estonian energy company, plans to increase its production of petroleum liquids from oil shale from 3,000 bbl/d to 22,000 bbl/d by 2016.
Enefit owns the largest oil shale-fueled power plants in the world, the Narva Power Plants. More than 90 percent of Estonia's power is generated using petroleum derived from oil shale.