Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Crude Oil Selling at 13-Year High

Semyon Likhodeyev / TASS

The price of Urals crude jumped to more than $116 per barrel last week, its highest level since 2013, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

On April 2, Urals shipped from the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk sold for $116.05 per barrel, while cargoes from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk reached $114.45, according to data cited by the outlet.

That marks a roughly 230% increase since December, when Urals traded below $40 per barrel under the weight of U.S. sanctions.

Governments are scrambling to boost oil supplies and rein in soaring prices caused by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally flows.

Russia, the world’s second-largest oil exporter, has emerged as a major alternative supplier, particularly for Asian countries heavily reliant on imports from the Middle East.

At the same time, the United States issued a temporary sanctions waiver for the delivery and sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products.

Oil prices at Russian ports are now more than double the threshold outlined in the National Wealth Fund’s so-called “budget rule.”

Under the current rule, revenues earned above $59 per barrel of Urals crude are added to the fund. Shortfalls, meanwhile, are covered by the rainy-day fund.

Russia could collect around 1 trillion rubles ($12.7 billion) in oil and gas revenues in April, about twice as much as in January and February and 40% more than in March, according to Alexei Tretyakov, CEO of AriCapital.

The Financial Times previously estimated the price surge was generating up to $150 million in additional daily revenue for the Russian state budget.

However, a recent uptick in Ukrainian drone strikes targeting energy infrastructure has begun to erode Russian export capacity, preventing Moscow from fully realizing the windfalls from the Iran war.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more