Georgia’s Kulevi Refinery Shifts Away From Russian Crude

The facility processed its first batch of Kazakh crude in July and expects a Libyan cargo between August 20 and August 30. This shift accelerates a broader diversification strategy that includes potential future supplies from Turkmenistan. Black Sea Petroleum aims to finalize the transition by early September, well ahead of the January 25, 2027, cutoff imposed by the EU’s 21st sanctions package.

Brussels placed the refinery under scrutiny after tracking refined products from Kulevi to Spain and Bulgaria, raising concerns that the facility was acting as a conduit for Russian oil into Western markets. While the EU has signaled that the sanctions could be lifted once compliance is verified, the refinery must now maintain a strictly non-Russian supply stream. Since its October 2025 launch, Kulevi has processed over 650,000 metric tons of crude, with long-term plans to expand its annual capacity from 1.2 million to 4.5 million tons.