Georgia's only refinery drops Russian oil

Georgian refinery switches to new crude supplies

Black Sea Petroleum LLC, the operator of the Kulevi oil refinery, announced the start of processing crude oil from Kazakhstan.

According to the company, the first volumes began to be processed in early July, while the remaining crude will be processed during August.

According to Black Sea Petroleum LLC, the next stage will be the supply of crude oil from Libya.

The company said that under an agreement signed on July 3, 2026, with an international trader, a tanker carrying Libyan crude is expected to arrive at the Port of Kulevi between August 20 and August 30.

The contract runs through the end of 2027 and includes an option for extension.

The company's plan

Black Sea Petroleum LLC said it is continuing to implement its crude supply diversification program and intends to gradually reduce its dependence on Russian oil.

"Black Sea Petroleum LLC will continue implementing its crude diversification plan, maintain constructive engagement with the European Commission and other relevant authorities, and provide clear and verifiable evidence of the progress achieved," the company's statement said.

The company also recalled that on July 1 it announced its intention to switch completely to processing non-Russian crude in August-September 2026.

The start of processing Kazakh crude and the expected supplies from Libya are the first practical steps in implementing that plan.

The Ryazan oil refinery, considered one of Russia's largest refineries, previously suspended oil processing following a drone attack. According to Reuters, citing industry sources, the facility halted operations on July 29, and restoring production could take about two weeks because of the need to restart processing units and reconfigure equipment.