Moratorium on fuel damper reset will benefit Russian refining industry - Surgutneftegas dep chief

MOSCOW. Oct 15 (Interfax) - The Russian presidential decree imposing a moratorium on resetting the fuel damper to zero will benefit the oil refining industry, Nikolai Kiselev, deputy head of oil producer Surgutneftegas , told reporters.

"It will have a positive impact and, in general, it stabilize and support the oil refining industry," he said.

Kiselev said there were two aspects to the decree: a moratorium on resetting the damper, and exempting winter diesel fuel production from excise tax by blending diesel varieties with jet fuel outside of refineries. "Regarding the excise tax, this will be a major boost and increase [winter diesel] supply to the market. So it will have more of an impact on diesel fuel," he said.

"Given that autumn is upon us and petroleum product consumption goes down by natural means, altogether [with the effects of the decree] this will steady prices on the fuel market," Kiselev said.

A decree of President Vladimir Putin was published on Sunday which introduced a moratorium on zeroing out the fuel damper from October 2025 to May 2026. The budget pays the damper as a subsidy to oil companies so that they restrain domestic fuel prices amid high export netbacks.

The decree also exempts winter diesel fuel production from excise tax by blending diesel varieties with jet fuel outside of refineries.