Special reports

Analytical series “The Fuel and Energy Complex of Russia”:

Oil and Gas Sector Regulation and Interim Results in 2024. Outlook for 2025

A new government was formed in Russia in spring 2024. Sergey Tsivilyov became Energy Minister. The first six months of the new government’s regulation of the fuel and energy sector are already past, which enables drawing the first analytical conclusions. Therefore, interim production results for 2024 have a special place in this research. We analyse the past year in two papers at once, as has become a tradition already. The gas industry is considered in a separate report. Meanwhile, we focus on oil here. The report’s special value lies in the data of our own oil export estimation model.

Northern Logistics Route: Should One Expect a Breakthrough?

The Northern Sea Route and the Arctic in general were made a state priority even before the conflict in Ukraine. The key question is: can nice talk about the NSR as a profitable and strategic route and about Russia’s return to the Arctic be converted into actual breakthroughs making it possible to carry out at least the executive’s own plans? The strategic content concerning the NSR is relatively new, but many problems are old.

Current Status of Russian Oil Exports

Getting over the 2022-2024 sanctions is the most important test for the Russian oil industry. After the US, United Kingdom, EU, and G7 introduced a ban on buying Russian oil and petroleum products (with some exceptions) and the price cap mechanism, Russia managed to find alternative sale options in countries that are now commonly called the “Global South”. However, it is important to consider exports in detail. This is what we do in the new NESF report.

Green and Climate Agenda: Reset Attempt

In spite of dramatic worsening of relations with the West, the subject of climate has not vanished from Russian economic plans. Environmental issues have even topped the list of declared problems.

Government 2024: New Configuration of Regulators

While the result of the presidential election in Russia was absolutely predictable, further moves forming new government agencies were more intriguing. Eventually, on the one hand, it would seem that Putin chose to avoid radical decisions on the civilian part of the Cabinet. Prime Minister Mishustin kept his post and almost all deputy prime ministers did. On the other, there are still meaningful changes. First of all, the Ministry of Energy got a new head. This alone deserves special attention.

Lithium: New Energy Eldorado?

The energy transition is, on the one hand, rightly perceived by Russian oil and gas companies as a threat to their business. On the other, one should also look for new opportunities in the new energy industry. One of them is the production of lithium, the most important resource for electric vehicle batteries. The industry is rapidly growing, which opens up new horizons, for conventional fuel and energy companies, among others. Lithium is already beginning to cause increased interest in Russia, which calls for close scrutiny of the topic.

West’s Latest Sanctions Decisions, Their Effect on Russian Oil and Gas Industry

The report presents an analysis of the latest sanctions decisions on the part of the US, EU, and United Kingdom as well as practical measures to implement them.

State regulation of the oil and gas sector in 2023, 2024 outlook

The year 2023 posed a serious challenge to the Russian oil and gas sector that was subjected to extremely tough sanctions that could have led to collapse in exports of crude oil and petroleum products. The oil industry and corresponding regulatory mechanisms were tested throughout the year. The state, being in dire need of financial resources, had to save the chicken that lays golden eggs. How well is it coping with this task?

All reports for: 2015 , 14 , 13 , 12 , 11 , 10 , 09 , 08 , 07