Moscow, 15 October. The first shipments of Russian diesel fuel to the United States are possible in two to three weeks at the earliest, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on the sidelines of Russian Energy Week. That time is needed to conclude contracts, load the fuel and charter vessels.
According to Novak, Russian oil companies are ready to start shipping diesel to world markets at any moment, and negotiations on commercial terms are under way. He described the price for the American market, at market level or at a discount, as a matter of commercial agreement. Asked about extending the licence beyond April 2027, the deputy prime minister said there are no such talks now and it is too early to speak about it.
On 10 October the Russian government partially lifted the ban on diesel exports. As Fontanka wrote, US President Donald Trump said Russia is ready to supply 300,000 tonnes of diesel, 500,000 tonnes in November and a million tonnes in December. Novak also said that by the end of 2026 Russia could raise diesel exports to 3.5 million tonnes a month and take 10% of the world market.
The US Treasury extended until 24 April 2027 the special licence that allows Lukoil's network of filling stations to operate outside Russia; in April it had already been extended until 29 October 2026.
The International Energy Agency warned that the diesel shortage caused by the war in Iran will persist and that inventories are unlikely to recover before the second half of 2027.
