In May 2023, Turkish ports received 1 million tons of diesel by sea from Russian ports, which is 11 times more than the deliveries in May 2022.
This is evidenced by data on the movement of sea vessels entering the ports of Turkey.
Deliveries of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) amounted to 923,000 tons, Gasoil – 93,000 tons. The deliveries from Russia accounted for over 72% of diesel delivered to the country by sea for the month. The largest bases for transshipment of diesel from Russia include the ports of Mersin - 392 thousand tons, the terminal of the Tüpraş İzmit refinery - 314 thousand tons, and the terminals of Marmara - 120 thousand tons.
In turn, 763,000 tons of diesel (631,000 tons of low-sulfur diesel and 132,000 tons of Gasoil) were exported by sea from Turkey in May. Of these, 258,000 tons were shipped from Star Refinery (SOCAR) and Tüpraş berths in Aliaz. According to traders, one batch of 5.6 thousand tons of diesel produced by Star Refinery was contracted by Polish UNIMOT, which later sold this resource to Ukrainian counterparties.
Besides, according to NaftoRynok’s interlocutors in trading circles, a number of Ukrainian companies are known to have contracted 42.5 thousand tons of tanker deliveries of diesel from the OPET terminal in Marmara during May.
It should be noted that, in view of the strengthening control to prevent supply of Russian oil products to Ukraine, Ukrainian traders should carefully study the resource offered in the ports of Turkey. At least 35% of the oil and gas handled by the OPET terminal in May came from Russia: up to 91,000 tons of diesel from the Russian ports of Tuapse (GMS TRADING supplier), Primorsk (NEST WISE PETROLEUM), Novorossiysk (LITASCO). Moreover, Lukoil's LITASCO trading company provided OPET with 33,000 tons of diesel from the Tunisian port of La Skhirra. However, the main volumes of receipts to the OPET terminal in May included the vessels loaded with 105.8 thousand tons of Indian diesel from Reliance Industries, and 32 thousand tons from the Hellenic Petroleum refinery of Greece.
The buyers of diesel in Marmara include such companies as WOG, Wexler, Rinaco Trade. Besides, during the month, a vessel with a cargo of up to 30 thousand tons of low-sulfur diesel was shipped from Aves Mersin Terminal to the address of the Euronova Energy trader, from which Ukrainian importers purchased more than 60 thousand tons in May. At the same time, in May, diesel was received there only from Novorossiysk - 48,000 tons. It was supplied by two companies: LITASCO and Pontus Trading DMCC from the UAE.
In just 5 months of 2023, the arrival of diesel from Russian ports to Turkey more than tripled - from 1.34 million tons to 4.78 million tons.
