Russian seaborne diesel exports rise in May, data shows

Russia's seaborne diesel and gasoil exports rose in May on higher fuel production, according to LSEG data and market sources.

According to Reuters calculations based on industry data, Russia's idle diesel production capacity in May is expected to have declined by 8.1 per cent from April to 1.6 million tonnes or 52,700 tons per day (around 392,088 barrels per day).

Lower idle production points to rising fuel output and exports.

In total, diesel and gasoil exports from Russian ports rose in May to about 3.7 million tonnes, up seven per cent from April, Reuters calculations based on information from LSEG and market sources showed.

Turkey and Brazil remained the main importers of Russian diesel and gasoil in May, shipping data showed.

Diesel and gasoil exports from Russian ports to Turkey rose last month to 1.3 million tonnes, up 15 per cent from April, while loadings for Brazil fell by 14 per cent on a monthly basis to 0.63 million tonnes from 0.7 million tonnes.

Russia's May diesel and gasoil exports to African countries rose by seven per cent from the previous month to about 0.83 million tonnes in total, with Ghana, Tunisia, Senegal and Egypt among the biggest importers, shipping data showed.

Nearly 0.35 million tonnes of diesel and gasoil from Russian ports are waiting for discharge or orders for further destinations on ship-to-ship transfers near the Cypriot port of Limassol, according to LSEG data.

The shipping data also showed that vessels loaded in May with about 230,000 tonnes of diesel in Russian ports had their destination marked as "for orders", meaning their discharge points are either not yet known or not declared.

(Reporting by Reuters in Moscow; Editing by Mark Potter)