Russia resumes diesel exports after partially lifting ban

MOSCOW, Oct 9 (Reuters): Russia, the world's top seaborne exporter of diesel just ahead of the United States, resumed exports of the fuel on Monday after it lifted its ban on most fuel exports following a decline in domestic wholesale prices.

Russian exports of gasoline and cross-border supplies of diesel by rail and road are still prohibited, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Monday.

On Sept. 21, Russia temporarily banned most exports of gasoline and diesel to cope with a domestic market shortage, with pipeline operator Transneft halting diesel shipments from Primorsk from Sept. 22. The ban was partially lifted on Friday.

TASS news agency cited a spokesman for Transneft as saying that the oil pipeline monopoly had restarted diesel exports on Saturday.

Pavel Sorokin, Russia's first deputy energy minister, told RBC TV that storage at oil refineries had been full, which could lead to a decline in refining volumes.

He also said the ban will be fully lifted once the domestic market is "saturated" with fuel.

"We will take further steps depending on the situation," he said.