Sources: Second attack on a Moscow refinery this week damages units and sparks fires

Industry sources claim that a second drone attack on Gazpromneft’s?Moscow Refinery this week has damaged 'processing units' and caused multiple fires across the site.

In a Telegram message posted on Thursday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that the area had been the target of a large-scale raid by drones and that several drones were launched at the Moscow refinery. The refinery was previously attacked on June 16th, forcing it to shut down.

According to sources, the attack on Thursday damaged the Euro+ combined oil refinery unit that was due to be commissioned in 2020 under a modernisation program for?the plant.

The unit includes an crude distillation section that has a nominal capacity of 140,000 barrels per day, or 47% of refinery capacity. It also contains a catalytic Reformer and a diesel hydrotreating system.

In addition to Euro+, secondary units, interunit pipelines, and auxiliary equipment have been damaged. Oil-filled storage tanks were also damaged and set ablaze.

Gazpromneft - the owner of the refinery - did not respond immediately to a comment request.

PLANT ALREADY UNDERTAKING RESEARCH AFTER AN EARLIER?ATTACK

CDU-6, which has a normal?capacity of around 160,000 bpd or 53% of plant capacity, was damaged and set?on fire in the attack on June 16.

The plant was planning to restart Euro+ midweek, and process oil around half its capacity while CDU-6 is being repaired.

The refinery, located in the southeast part of Moscow, helps supply fuel to Russia’s capital.

Sources?said that the refinery would process 11.6 million metric tons crude oil in 2024. This is approximately 230,000 barrels per day, and produce 2.9 millions tons of gasoline, as well as 3.2 million gallons of diesel, and 1.3million tons of bitumen. Jan Harvey edited the report by Jan Harvey.

(source: Reuters)