After a month of record price increase, wholesale gasoline shipments are rapidly getting cheaper. The market understood the government's hints.
Wholesale price of gasoline and diesel fuel on The St. Petersburg Stock Exchange is rapidly going down. Fuel is getting cheaper for the third day in a row. So, Ai-92 dropped during this time from 72.
66 thousand rubles per ton to 68.55 thousand rubles, Ai-95 — from 82.25 thousand rubles per ton to 77.72 thousand rubles, and diesel fuel — from 61.13 thousand rubles per ton to 59.15 thousand rubles.The day before, on August 25, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak held a meeting of the headquarters on the situation on the domestic market of petroleum products.
"As a result of increased sales volumes and timely shipment of fuel in the regions, gasoline and diesel prices on the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange have been declining for the last two trading days. Producers observe the balance of fuel supplies to the domestic market during the period of increased demand," the Ministry of Energy said.
They noted that deliveries to agricultural producers at the peak of the harvesting campaign are proceeding normally, all applications of farmers are being satisfied.
At the same time, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has initiated several cases of violation of antimonopoly legislation in cases of overestimation of retail prices at gas stations in certain regions.
The ban on the export of gasoline, which was extended for September, also continues to operate.
"Alexander Novak instructed the Ministry of Energy to monitor the situation on the oil products market in order to reliably supply the domestic market with fuel and maintain the price balance in the retail segment. The Ministry of Economic Development has been instructed to analyze the parameters affecting the formation of retail fuel prices," the ministry added.
Summer is considered the peak of fuel demand. At the same time, massive drone attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Russian refineries took part of the capacities into unscheduled repairs. The Ministry of Energy of Russia stated that repairs are proceeding at an accelerated pace, as well as reserve capacities are being introduced. According to some estimates, 10% of the capacity of Russian refineries could be affected.
They started talking on the market that the government could rein in market players by setting a price ceiling. Mostly independent gas stations are bought on the stock exchange, which, unlike vertically integrated companies such as Rosneft, Gazprom Neft and Lukoil, do not have their own production and processing facilities.
"The FAS has opened cases on the increase in gasoline prices. I think the chain will reach the organizers of the stock market storm. So they faltered," says independent industrial expert Maxim Khudalov.