Perm Oil Refinery Suspends Operations After Drone Strike

The oil refinery in the Russian city of Perm suspended operations following a Ukrainian drone strike.

Reuters reported the incident, citing industry sources.

The attack on the facility took place on August 21. The refinery in question is one of Russia’s largest – LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez.

The drone strike caused a fire and damaged process units at the AVT-4 crude oil distillation unit, which accounts for nearly 40% of the refinery’s capacity.

Before the damage, the unit could process 14,000 metric tons of crude oil per day.

Preliminary estimates suggest repair work could take one to two weeks.

In addition, sources say another primary oil distillation unit, AVT-5, which accounts for 34% of the refinery’s capacity, has been out of operation since the drone attack on July 29.

Oil Refinery in Perm

The LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez oil refinery is a key industrial facility in Russia’s Perm Krai.

The refinery has a designed processing capacity of about 13 million tonnes of crude oil per year, making it Russia’s seventh-largest oil refinery by processing volume. The refinery produces gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and lubricants, and also processes associated petroleum gas.

The facility’s products meet domestic demand in the aggressor country and, prior to Ukrainian strikes, were also used for export shipments.

LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez has been repeatedly targeted by drones operated by Ukraine’s Defense Forces. The refinery was attacked on May 8 and May 7. Another drone attack took place on April 30. The facility is more than 1,500 kilometers from the frontline.

Strikes on Russian oil refineries aim to reduce fuel production needed to supply Russian troops and support the country’s economy. Damage to equipment at these facilities reduces oil processing and creates fuel shortages in the domestic market.