The price reductions come after the Federal Antimonopoly Service issued warnings to the companies last week.
Photo: Viktor Polyakov
| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Gasoline Prices Falling at Pumps
TNK-BP has become the third oil company, after Gazprom Neft and Alliance, to reflect falling oil prices at the gasoline pumps throughout the country. Like its competitors, it plans to lower the price of gasoline and diesel by “an average of a ruble [per liter].” According to the company’s announcement, prices were lowered 30-40 kopecks per liter last week and will drop 60-70 kopecks this week. Fuel prices have lagged notably behind as oil have dropped. TNK-BP sells about a third of the petroleum products it produces through its own sales chain. The company did not mention plans to lower wholesale prices.
According to the Moscow Fuel Association, the average price of mid-quality Ai-95 gasoline in Moscow is 25.32 rubles per liter, so the price reduction represents a decrease of about 4 percent. Gazprom Neft announced its new price policy on Friday, and Alliance, which operates in the Russian Far East, made its announcement on Monday. LUKOIL is also promising a price reduction. Rosneft is not commenting on the question, but sources say its prices at the pumps have also fallen by up to a ruble in the course of this month.
The price reductions come after the Federal Antimonopoly Service issued warnings to the companies last week. According to the Kortes research center, gasoline prices have already fallen 1 percent on average this month. Falling oil prices (from $100 per barrel in August to $70 now) and high export duties have made oil exports unprofitable. Domestic sales of petroleum products are the only source of earnings for the oil companies.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 22, 2008
|
|
|
