Russia asks Kazakhstan for gasoline to ease shortages, sources say

MOSCOW, June 24 (Reuters) - Russia is in talks with Kazakhstan to import about 50,000 metric tons of AI-92 gasoline to ease a domestic shortage caused by refinery outages and unscheduled repairs, four industry sources said.

Shutdowns at several large refineries in central Russia following Ukrainian drone attacks have cut gasoline output by roughly 25% year-on-year as of late June, Reuters reported.

Russia's Energy Ministry did not immediately comment. Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov earlier said Astana had not received an official request from Moscow for gasoline supplies.

The Russian government is considering measures to stabilise the market, including fuel export restrictions, higher subsidies for refiners and imports — an unusual step for one of the world's major fuel exporters.

This month, Moscow allowed refineries to produce gasoline and diesel for the domestic market with lower quality specifications. Russia is also planning seaborne gasoline imports, underscoring the severity of the disruption.

Kazakhstan is a relatively small fuel producer compared with Russia, and sources said supplies are unlikely to be significant.

Kazakhstan currently has a gasoline surplus, but maintenance at the Atyrau refinery from June 26 to July 20 will reduce available reserves, the sources said.

One possible source is Kazakhstan's Kondensat refinery, which processes gas condensate from Russia's TANECO refinery and has quotas for fuel exports. Kondensat exported 15,207 tons of AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline to Georgia in May 2026, according to Kazakhstan's fuel and energy analytical centre.

However, TANECO, owned by Russia's Tatneft, fully halted crude processing on June 12 after a drone attack, potentially limiting feedstock for Kondensat.

A source in Kazakhstan said gasoline deliveries to Russia could be possible in exchange for Russian jet fuel.

Kazakhstan faces a jet fuel shortage in July due to rising demand, maintenance at Atyrau and lower imports from Russia, industry sources said.

Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia are members of the Eurasian Economic Union, which allows duty-free hydrocarbon supplies and sets annual indicative balances for fuel trade.

(Reporting by Reuters. Editing by Mark Potter)