8 March 2026
Novatek has suspended stable gas condensate (SGC) processing and naphtha exports through the Baltic port of Ust-Luga due to a fire at the complex that broke out after an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack on March 25, Reuters reported, citing three industry sources.
According to their data, as a result of the UAV attacks, fires broke out at stable gas condensate (SGC) fractionation units and several storage tanks containing petroleum products.
The timeline for the resumption of the complex’s operations and the export of petroleum products is still unknown; firefighting efforts at the port are ongoing, sources say.
On Wednesday, Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported on his Telegram channel that a fire broke out at the Ust-Luga port as a result of a drone attack, but did not provide details. Reruters sources reported that oil and petroleum product transshipment in Ust-Luga had been suspended.
Novatek’s gas condensate fractionation and transshipment complex, with a nominal capacity of 9 million tons per year, processes condensate into light and heavy naphtha, kerosene, diesel fraction, and a marine fuel component (fuel oil). The finished products are shipped for export by sea transport.
According to the company, in 2025, the processing of SGK at the Ust-Luga complex amounted to 8 million tons.
The halt in Novatek’s naphtha exports will add to tensions in Asian markets, which recently faced severe shortages due to the suspension of supplies from the Middle East, traders said.
Novatek’s complex in the port of Ust-Luga was also previously attacked by UAVs in August 2025 and January 2024.