Oil production in Russia amounted to 512 million tons in 2025, according to a article for the “Energy Policy” magazine by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
Oil production, as follows from Novak’s data, has fallen for the third consecutive year: in 2024, it was 516 million tons, in 2023 — 530 million tons, and in 2022 — 535 million.
As a result, oil production volumes have become the lowest since 2009: then Russia pumped 494.2 million tons. Even during the pandemic crisis, in 2020, production was slightly higher — 512.7 million tons.
In the plan for the year, the government laid down an increase in production to 520 million tons. Russia was allowed to pump more by the OPEC+ deal, under which the Russian quota increased to 8.98 to 9.57 million barrels per day. But in fact, at the end of the year, Russian oil workers pumped only 9.33 million barrels per day, and in December, instead of an increase, production unexpectedly and sharply started to fall — by 250 thousand barrels per day.
The decline in production is the result of US sanctions against “Rosneft” and “Lukoil”, which undermined exports to India and China, notes Janis Kluge, an expert at the German Institute for International Security Problems. Since the end of November, when the sanctions came into effect, there were 35 million unsold barrels “stuck” in tankers at sea. And, apparently, there is simply no more space for storing unclaimed oil, writes Kluge (The Moscow Times).
