Med crude-Premiums for Azeri BTC oil ease, Urals exports stay below plan so far in August

Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port PAO

19/08/2026 19:14

MOSCOW, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Azeri BTC crude oil's premium over dated Brent eased amid weak demand for the grade, while Russian Urals oil exports were well below plan in August amid disruptions in the Black Sea port of  Novorossiysk, traders said on Wednesday.
Oil shipments from Russia's western ports have fallen to about 2.3 million barrels per day in the first half of August, 15% below the initial loading plan. Novorossiysk halted operations temporarily after Ukraine carried out drone attacks on the port this month.
Russian Urals oil is mostly exported by sea from its main western outlets - Primorsk, Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk along with smaller volumes of Kazakh KEBCO.
Russia is rerouting Kazakhstan's crude oil exports from the Baltic port of Ust-Luga to Novorossiysk, freeing up capacity for more Russian oil exports from the Baltic amid heightened Black Sea security risks, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Azeri BTC crude oil cargoes traded close to a $2 premium to dated Brent, significantly lower than previous estimates, with cargoes with prompt loading dates still available for sale. 
     
PLATTS WINDOW
There were no bids or offers on Wednesday for Urals, CPC Blend or Azeri BTC, traders said.
NEWS 
Russia is importing almost 270,000 metric tons of refined fuels from ship-to-ship transfers in Asia in August, according to preliminary shipping data and trade sources, as it seeks to ease fuel shortages due to Ukrainian attacks on its oil refineries.

 (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)