Producers object

摘要

Tatneft is one of Russia’s biggest highsulphur crude producers and opposes the plan, according to market participants, because selling high-sulphur crude at a discount to Urals will undermine profits. The firm exports some 600,000 t/month and produces 2.26mn t/month. This is not the first time the government has suggested a segregated highsulphur flow. The halt of Russian crude exports to Ukraine’s Kremenchug refinery in 2007 after Tatneft was ousted as operator resulted in more high-sulphur crude heading into the Transneft system. Kremenchug previously imported heavy, 3.5pc sulphur crude from Russia.