Novorossiysk port is operating on the verge of overload due to drone attacks

The Russian seaport of Novorossiysk is on the verge of being overloaded by Ukrainian drone attacks.

This was reported by enkorr with reference to Reuters.

The port of Novorossiysk has reached its maximum export capacity, as traders try to redirect crude oil that cannot be processed domestically and whose production is increasing due to increased OPEC+ quotas.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, including Russia, are lifting production restrictions.

In addition, Russian refineries carried out a record amount of maintenance in August and September, partly due to damage caused by Ukrainian drones. This means that the plants’ ability to process oil domestically is limited and they need to export more.

The shutdowns at oil refineries last month led to a record volume of Russian exports – 2.5 million barrels per day.

Of these, exports and transits of Urals, KEBCO and Siberian Light crude via the Transneft pipeline system to Novorossiysk reached 0.8 million bpd, the highest level in at least five years.

The preliminary plan for October calls for crude supplies via Novorossiysk to be at least 0.73 million bpd, market sources said.

But a source at a Russian oil company, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was virtually no spare capacity left in Transneft’s system, raising the risk of collapse in the event of further attacks or weather disruptions.

Refinery downtime is expected to be lower in October than in August, but damage from drone attacks could lead to an upward revision of export plans.

The risk of disruptions also increases in the coming months, as frequent storms in Novorossiysk hinder loading, and delays while passing through the Turkish Straits are common.

USM previously reported that SBU and Special Operation Forces drones hit a marine oil terminal in occupied Crimea.