The Russian company "Russneft" delivered the first batch of oil to the newly built refinery in Kulevi, Georgia, this month, citing LSEG data on vessel tracking and industry sources, Reuters reports, writes UNN.
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Russia and Georgia have not had official diplomatic relations since 2008, when a brief war broke out between them. However, under the ruling Georgian Dream party, Tbilisi has strengthened economic ties with Moscow, while relations with Western countries have sharply deteriorated, the publication writes.
According to LSEG and the trader, on October 6, the tanker "Kayseri" delivered 105,340 tons of Siberian Light crude oil from the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk to the oil terminal in Kulevi.
Russia seeks to diversify its exports while addressing challenges related to Western sanctions over Russia's war against Ukraine.
With the commissioning of its first refinery, Georgia aims to reduce its dependence on fuel imports from Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Romania, and Kazakhstan, the publication notes.
The plant was launched this month, and its initial processing capacity will be about 1.2 million tons of oil per year, or about 24,000 barrels per day.
The plant will gradually increase its annual capacity to 4 million tons by 2028, aiming to supply fuel for both export and the domestic market.
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