A fire broke out at Rosneft PJSC’s Ufa refinery in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan early Monday.
The blaze resulted from “technological processes” and was extinguished around 9:40 a.m. local time, a regional unit of the Emergencies Ministry said on Telegram, providing no further details. Local media earlier reported that nearby residents had heard “typical drone noises” before the fire occurred.
The incident hasn’t affected key refinery operations, Interfax reported, citing Rosneft’s Bashneft division, which runs the facility. The 150,000-barrel-a-day plant produces gasoline mainly for domestic consumption and diesel for local and export markets.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in recent weeks, targeting not just refineries but also pipelines. Kyiv is seeking to make life difficult for Russia’s oil and gas industry — a major source of revenue for Moscow — and to curtail fuel supplies to its military forces occupying Ukraine.
This year, drones have twice attacked the Russkaya compressor station, the entry point for the TurkStream gas pipeline, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry. The latest assault occurred Feb. 28, it said, adding that the link continued operating. TurkStream is currently the only pipeline sending Russian gas to Europe.
Moscow’s forces have also been continuing strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including its power grid, even as the Kremlin engages in talks with the US on a possible path to ending the war.
Source: Rigzone.com