There will be no diesel crisis in Bulgaria, and the production of “Lukoil Neftochim Burgas“ exceeds domestic consumption. This was stated to BNT by the special commercial manager of “Lukoil“ companies in Bulgaria, Evgeniy Simeonov.
According to him, the country consumes between 5,000 and 6,000 tons of diesel per day, or between 180,000 and 190,000 tons per month. At the same time, the Burgas refinery produces between 240,000 and 260,000 tons of diesel per month.
“We have enough diesel in Bulgaria and the Bulgarian consumer should be calm“, said Evgeniy Simeonov.Currently, the refinery's processing is about 88-90% of capacity. If it reaches 100%, production could increase to about 280,000 tons of diesel per month, Simeonov pointed out.
The special commercial manager said that the ban on the export of diesel and aviation fuel does not solve the problem with stocks, but may lead to a limitation of production.
The reason is that the refinery does not have an unlimited number of tanks and storage capacity. When the warehouses are filled, the excess production must be exported in order for the enterprise to continue operating at high capacity. Otherwise, it will be necessary to reduce processing.
Simeonov explained that a barrel of oil produces various products, including diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel, boiler fuel, LPG, low-octane gasoline and kerosene. Therefore, restricting the export of individual products may affect overall production.
“There is not a single positive effect from the export ban. The only effect is negative - both for the refinery and for the Bulgarian consumer,“ he said.
According to Simeonov, the sale of excess quantities outside the country brings income for “Lukoil“, but also tax revenues for the state budget. On October 8, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Pulev also stated that the lifting of the ban on diesel exports would not lead to a deficit on the Bulgarian market.
Simeonov pointed out that Bulgaria maintains the requirement for 90-day fuel stocks. According to him, the State Agency “State Reserve and Wartime Stocks“ complies with this requirement and there is no reason for concern about the availability.
He also commented on the issue of the derogation for the use of Russian oil. According to him, Hungary and Slovakia, which are landlocked and receive oil through the “Druzhba“ oil pipeline, have an indefinite derogation. Talks are underway with Great Britain and the United States for Bulgaria, with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Economy working on the process.
The Bulgarian companies of “Lukoil“ have not received official documentation for a possible deal to sell the group, Simeonov said. He specified that for now only intentions published in the media are being discussed.
When asked whether the Burgas refinery could be excluded from such a deal, Simeonov replied that it depends on the company's owners. “Hypothetically, anything is possible. A matter of agreements“, he said.