Russia's Orsk oil refinery shut down for 6 months
Photo: Fire following an attack on the factory (t.me_exilenova_plus)
One of Russia's largest oil refineries has completely halted operations following a fire caused by a drone attack, and it could take up to six months to restore the equipment, according to Yevgeny Solntsev, governor of the Orenburg region.
Preparing for the worst-case scenario: Authorities' statement
"The plant has been completely shut down. We are preparing for the worst-case scenario," Solntsev wrote on August 13.
According to him, the striking elements damaged the plant’s key infrastructure. It is currently impossible to restore it. Due to sanctions, repairs to the equipment could take up to half a year.
Orsknefteorgsintez
Orsknefteorgsintez is one of Russia's leading oil refineries. The facility is part of the Forteinvest company. The refinery's design capacity is 5.76 million metric tons of crude oil per year, which is approximately 115,200 barrels per day.
In 2024, the refinery processed 4.2 million metric tons of crude oil. From this feedstock, it produced:
- 1.8 million metric tons of diesel fuel
- 600,000 metric tons of gasoline
- 500,000 metric tons of bitumen
- 200,000 metric tons of fuel oil.
Due to the situation at the refinery, fuel supplies in the Orenburg region have been disrupted. Gas stations are giving priority to emergency vehicles, and drivers are being asked to be patient.
Drone attack on Orsk: Chronology of events
On the morning of August 11, drones attacked the Orenburg region, and a fire broke out at one of the region's industrial facilities.
That same night, fires broke out simultaneously at two major Russian oil refineries—the Komsomolsk refinery in the Khabarovsk Krai and the facility in Orsk.
According to OSINT sources, a massive fire broke out at the Orsk refinery following the explosions.
On August 12, industry sources reported that the plant had completely halted oil refining due to damage to its facilities.
