The damper was crying burning tears – Kommersant

Prices for AI-95 at SPIMEX this week conquered new heights, breaking the level of 60 thousand rubles. per ton. So, on May 18, AI-95 rose in price during the auction to 60.6 thousand rubles. per ton. Interlocutors of “Kommersant” see the reason for the rise in prices in the intention of the Ministry of Finance to reduce subsidies to oil companies on the damper. At the same time, in their opinion, the growth potential is already almost exhausted. However, as a result, the margins of the gas station business have been sharply reduced, which will lead to higher prices at gas stations.

The exchange price of gasoline AI-95 increased on May 18 by 0.35%, to 60.6 thousand rubles. per ton, according to the data of SPbMTSB. Prices for this brand of fuel reached record levels this week, while fuel prices have been continuously rising since February, and since mid-April, growth has accelerated sharply. The cost of AI-95 decreased by 0.01%, to approximately 52.8 thousand rubles. per ton.

Since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, wholesale gasoline prices have remained at their lowest levels, which, in the conditions of stable retail prices, guaranteed high margins for filling station operators. Mid-April at the market began to spread rumors about another reduction in damper subsidies that oil companies receive from the budget for fuel supplies to the domestic market.

At the end of April, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov announcedthat the authorities are planning to halve damper subsidies since July, but so far the corresponding bill has not been submitted to the State Duma.

The plans of the Ministry of Finance are connected with the intention to reduce the budget deficit, which in four months exceeded the planned figures for the whole year.

After the statements of Anton Siluanov, the cost of fuel went up sharply, additional factors for the rise in price of fuel were scheduled repairs at refineries with an increase in demand for fuel in May. The Ministry of Energy, in response to the rise in prices, recommended that oil companies increase sales of fuel on the stock exchange.

Kommersant’s interlocutors in the industry believe that the rise in prices now is mainly due to the fact that oil companies are “trying to win back” the reduction in damper payments. The April damper for gasoline was estimated at about 15 thousand rubles. per ton, and the Ministry of Finance planned to halve it. But since then, the growth in wholesale prices has already compensated oil companies for these losses, or, in any case, the vast majority of them, according to Kommersant’s interlocutors in the industry. In their opinion, the potential for price growth is close to being exhausted.

The increase in the price of fuel in the wholesale led to an increase in the cost of fuel at gas stations, but the growth rate there is much lower.

According to Rosstat, last week gasoline prices grew by 0.2%, since the beginning of the year they have increased by 0.3% with inflation of 2.15%. The current increase in wholesale fuel prices may mean that gas station operators will have to continue to increase gas station prices during the summer to avoid losses.

Even now, operations for the sale of gasoline at filling stations are on the verge of profitability: according to Petromarket, the net sales margin of AI-92 and AI-92 is 0.8 rubles. and 0.4 rub. for 1 liter, respectively. At the same time, as stated in the Ministry of Energy (see. “Kommersant” from May 11), an increase in the price of fuel in the wholesale “will not significantly affect the cost of gasoline in retail.”

Dmitry Kozlov