UralNefteProduct, the regional subsidiary of LUKOIL, has recently announced that it is going to raise the retail oil prices on September 12, 2006. As the company’s spokesperson said to UrBC representative, AI-76 petrol is now .5 RUR more expensive and costs 15.5 rather than 15 RUR per liter, AI-92 is sold at 18.8 instead of at 17.8 RUR, AI-95 and AI-98 are now both 1 RUR more expensive (20.3 and 20.5 RUR, respectively). Diesel fuel seems to have remained almost unaffected: the price per liter only went up by .1 RUR and reached the point of 17.6 RUR. The price of a ton of diesel fuel has been fluctuating between 550 and 150 RUR, and this product is supplied plentifully.

The experts claim the increase in the wholesale prices is due to the fact that the shortage of the fuel on the petrol market is still keenly felt. Another reason for this is that the prices soared after July 25, when the retail prices went up last. AI-92 petrol offered by PermNefteOrgSynthesis jumped from 19,300 to 21,000 RUR per ton, AI-95 went up from 20,500 to 23,000 RUR per ton. The plants of Ufimsk have been selling AI-92 at 20,800 RUR per ton and AI-95 at 22,800 RUR since September 1.

The most popular AI-92 petrol is offered at 18,8 RUR per liter in Perm and Chelyabinsk Regions and at 19 RUR in Sverdlovsk Region (as of September 12, 2006).