Moscow oil refinery output halted after Sunday drone attack, sources say

MOSCOW, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Russia's major Moscow refinery, owned by Gazprom Neft, has halted crude oil processing after fires broke out at its primary crude distillation units following a Ukrainian drone attack on September 20, three industry sources said.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram on Sunday morning that an industrial facility on the refinery's premises had been damaged during a drone raid on the Russian capital.

The sources told Reuters on Monday that both of the refinery's primary crude distillation units caught fire after drones crashed onto the site and that it could take several weeks to repair the damage and restore operations.

Gazprom Neft did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The refinery's AVT-6 unit has a capacity of 21,400 metric tons per day, representing 53% of its total capacity, while the EURO+ combined crude processing facility has a capacity of 18,800 tons per day, making up the remaining 47%.

Fuel produced by the Moscow refinery has not been offered for sale on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange since September 21.    

The sources said the refinery processed 11.6 million tons of crude oil in 2024, some 230,000 barrels per day, and produced 2.9 million tons of gasoline, 3.2 million tons of diesel and 1.3 million tons of bitumen.  

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Alexander Smith)