Oleg Smirnov said Tuapse refinery situated on the Black Sea cost was allowed to export 95 percent of its fuel oil output in October, and Yaroslavl refinery in the central Russia would be able to export 30 percent of its fuel oil production. That was in addition to two other refineries. "The decisions are being taken very fast, other refineries may be allowed exports depending on the volumes of fuel stocks accumulated in the regions where they are situated," he said. Tuapse refinery belongs to the Russian state oil company Rosneft and Yaroslavl is a subsidiary of Russia-Belarus Slavneft.

Smirnov could not say how many tonnes of fuel the refineries would be able to export in absolute terms. Kalyuzhny said on Thursday that Russia's government had reimposed a ban on fuel oil exports, which had beenin place for most of September, from October 4. Russia is trying to build up fuel stocks for the winter. Kalyuzhny said an exception had been made for Ukhta refinery, which belongs to KomiTEK oil company that is now in the process of merging with Lukoil and to Surgutneftegaz's subsidiary Kirishinefteorgsintez.

Kalyuzhny said Ukhta was allowed to export 16,000 tonnes of fuel oil in October and Kirishinefteorgsintez, 30 percent of its fuel oil output. Smirnov said that the ministry's order on Kirishi allowed it to export 100 percent of its "technical fuel" output but was unable to explain whether this term referred to just fuel oil. He also said that the order on Ukhta exports had not yet been signed, but was being prepared. It was not immediately clear how long the ban on fuel exports would be effective, as Kalyuzhny said it had been set for the whole of October and its lifting would depend on oil companies fulfilling their obligations to the domestic market. But Smirnov said that the ban on fuel oilexports had been formally set until October 16. He declined to say what might happen thereafter.

The government has issued a resolution effective from August 1 to December 1, requiring refiners to prove every month that they have fulfilled their obligations to domestic consumers.