Georgia’s only oil refinery plans to stop processing Russian crude oil from August–September 2026, marking a significant shift away from Russian feedstock, according to an announcement by its owner, Black Sea Petroleum.
The decision to phase out Russian crude comes as countries and companies across Europe and the wider region continue to diversify energy supplies following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, although Georgia has maintained extensive trade ties with Russia throughout the war.
Georgia’s only refinery shifts away from Russian crude
The company said the Kulevi Oil Refinery will begin refining exclusively non-Russian crude oil, a move it says will allow its petroleum products to enter higher-margin export markets.
“Starting from August–September this year, the company will begin refining crude oil of entirely non-Russian origin. This will open doors to high-margin markets for products manufactured by Black Sea Petroleum,” the company said in a statement.
The move is expected to broaden the refinery’s export opportunities, as products refined from non-Russian crude generally face fewer commercial and regulatory barriers in international markets.
Refinery processed 650,000 tons in first half of 2026
Black Sea Petroleum said the refinery processed more than 650,000 tons of crude during the first half of 2026.
The company also announced an expanded partnership with US industrial technology firm Honeywell, covering the procurement of refinery equipment and automated control systems as part of a broader modernization program.
Aviation fuel production planned
According to the company’s roadmap, the refinery plans to begin producing road bitumen in the first quarter of 2027 and aviation fuel in the second quarter of 2027.
Located in the Black Sea port town of Kulevi, the refinery has a nominal processing capacity of 4.5 million tonnes of crude oil per year. The refinery is Georgia’s only oil-processing facility.
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