Russia in strong position for price war
Oil producers in the country have relatively low upstream costs and greenfield projects ready to roll
Russian producers are ready for a war of attrition with Saudi Aramco, but some will handle the price collapse better than others. And having split with Opec+ in early March, Moscow is unlikely to change course anytime soon. Russia’s upstream costs average $4.70/bl oe, according to Moscow-based ratings agency ACRA. This is down from $5.60/bl oe last year, thanks primarily to depreciation of the rouble. At $25/bl, extraction and export taxes add a further $9/bl. But as tax breaks apply to many Russian fields, producers will continue to generate positive cash flow even if oil slides to $10/bl. Russia’s leading state firms Rosneft and Gazprom Neft are in a stronger position to weather the downtu
Also in this section
21 February 2025
While large-scale planned LNG schemes in sub-Saharan Africa have faced fresh problems, FLNG projects are stepping into that space
20 February 2025
Greater social mobility means increased global demand for refined fuels and petrochemical products, with Asia leading the way in the expansion of refining capacity
19 February 2025
The EU would do well to ease its gas storage requirements to avoid heavy purchase costs this summer, with the targets having created market distortion while giving sellers a significant advantage over buyers
18 February 2025
Deliveries to China decline by around 1m b/d from move to curb crude exports to Shandong port, putting Iran under further economic pressure
