MOSCOW- Russia, the world’s second-largest oil exporter, on Wednesday imposed restrictions on another major oil export route, suspending a mooring at the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk only a day after restricting loadings from a key Caspian pipeline.
Russia produces about 9 million barrels of oil a day, or just under a 10th of global production. It sports also ship oil from neighboring Kazakhstan.
Russia’s oil pipeline monopoly Transneft said it had suspended a mooring at the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk for 90 days after a snap inspection by a transport watchdog.
The Novorossiisk Commercial Sea Port (NCSP) is one of Russia’s largest export outlets and the closure of one mooring is unlikely to affect its operations significantly.
“A temporary ban on operations has been imposed on oil loading berth 8. NCSP has been ordered to eliminate all identified violations by June 30, 2025,” Transneft said.
Industry sources said that Berth 8 at the Sheskharis terminal handles low-sulphur diesel tankers with a deadweight of around 7,000 metric tons, mainly carrying exports to Turkey and Georgia.
LSEG and industry sources’ data showed that the berth handled around 100,000 tons of diesel in January-March.
Two of three moorings at a nearby terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, in which US oil majors Chevron and Exxon Mobil hold stakes, were closed on Monday.
US President Donald Trump has said he is unhappy with Russia and the rate of progress in peace talks with Ukraine, and threatened to impose secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian oil.
