Despite the pandemic, the fuel market in Russia summer begins in quite a traditional way. The sharp rise in gasoline prices in the wholesale segment due to shortage amid the country’s quarantine is starting to appear in the price tags at the pump. Thus, according to Rosstat, last week the price of AI-95 and AI-92 rose by 10 and 8 cents per liter, respectively. The Ministry of energy consider the situation stable, noting that fuel prices are rising slower than inflation. Meanwhile, the price of AI-95 at the SPIMEX reached a record 57 thousand rubles. per ton, and the FAS threatened to market participants checks.The average price of AI-92 and AI-95 rose last week by 8 kopecks and 10 kopecks., to 42.5 RUB and 46 rubles. per liter, respectively, from the data of Rosstat. The rising cost of fuel was recorded in 62 Russian regions. In Moscow gasoline has risen by only 0.1%.The price increase at the pump takes place amid record fuel price hike in the wholesale segment. So, on the SPIMEX in the price of AI-95 has again updated the historical maximum, an increase of 18 June by almost 1%, to 57.3 thousand rubles per ton. AI-92 has risen in price on 2%, to 50.7 thousand rubles per ton. In the end, at the end of may to the moment of easing of the quarantine measures, the production failed to recover in line with increasing demand.The FAS 18 Jun even announced the start of inspections due to the growth of prices for AI-95. “FAS recommended to the oil companies to ensure proper demand and to increase the volume of proposals on the exchange, including by redirecting export flows to the domestic market, but also to ensure the regularity and uniformity of sales of oil products at the exchange trades. Currently is working on the analysis of actions of the oil companies for abuse of dominant position, collusion, inaccurate and unsubstantiated media statements,” are available on the website of the Ministry of the word of the head of the control TEK FAS Armen Khanyan.In addition, the FAS again suspected of independent traders in the reasons for price increases.”We started the appropriate check, made request to the exchange. We do not exclude that someone didn’t go good lesson traders JSC “solid — commodity markets” and OOO “A-oil”, in respect of which we resume consideration of the case”,— said Deputy head of FAS Andrey tsarikovskiy.The energy Ministry do not see reasons for concern. The rise in gasoline prices in the wholesale segment, according to the Ministry, “do not constitute a significant risk to the consumer and is a normal market reaction to gradual recovery of the sectors of the economy after the lifting of restrictive measures on the non-proliferation of coronavirus infection on the background of recovery in demand and prices on the global markets.” Also there recalled that at this time, traditionally there is a seasonal increase of demand for petroleum products. The energy Ministry s��out that prices at the gas station “remained relatively stable throughout the Russian Federation.” “The rate of growth of prices for gasoline and diesel fuel since the beginning of the year, below the rate of inflation of 0.4% and minus 0.4% respectively. Inflation from the beginning of the year was 2.5%,”— said the Agency.”The shortage of fuel on the market there,”— said the Deputy head of the Ministry Pavel Sorokin. He noted that this week the production of gasoline increased by 6.8%, stocks of refineries and tank farms began to grow (+6.4% over the week), while sales on the stock exchange held on 27-28 thousand tons per day, which is above the approved standards implementation. He also noted that this and last week on the planned mode of operation out of Moscow, Yaroslavl, Samara and Ufa group NPZ. Currently, the official said, “we can say about the adequacy of the level of planned production and shipments for the creation of surplus supply in the domestic market of automobile gasoline.”Dmitry Kozlov
