The Orsknefteorgsintez (OrskNOS) refinery, owned by Forteinvest, stopped processing crude oil on Aug. 11 after a fire broke out following a drone attack, Reuters reported, citing two industry sources.
According to the sources, the damage affected primary and secondary oil refining units, in particular the primary unit ELOU-AVT-5. OSINT projects suggested the hydrocracking complex was also damaged.
Orenburg Region Governor Yevgeny Solntsev said that "as a result of falling drone debris, a fire broke out at one of the industrial enterprises," without specifying which one. He later announced restrictions on fuel sales to individuals and legal entities, noting that "the enemy's latest terrorist act has created certain problems for us."
The Orsk refinery has an annual capacity of 5.76 million tonnes of crude. In 2024, the plant processed 4.2 million tonnes, producing 0.6 million tonnes of gasoline and 1.8 million tonnes of diesel fuel. The facility is located roughly 1,900 km from the border with Ukraine.
The Orsk plant became the fourth Russian refinery to halt production in August. Earlier, Sibur's ZapSibNeftekhim in the Tyumen region, Rosneft's Saratov refinery and Lukoil's Volgograd refinery stopped processing. After a drone attack on the night of Aug. 12, two of Russia's largest grain terminals in Novorossiysk also suspended operations. The dates for resuming operations at the enterprises are unknown.