... in the market. Overall, European prices are now significantly lower than crisis peaks in 2022; however, any supply disruptions or an early cold snap in autumn may elevate volatility again. Record-high volumes in storage reduce the likelihood of sharp price spikes this coming winter, which is positively perceived by investors and industrial consumers alike. Market participants are also closely monitoring the EU's further steps to enhance energy security – including discussions on updated regulations for mandatory storage filling and potential restrictions on remaining Russian gas imports. Outside Europe, new gas supply routes are emerging. In the Middle East, Turkey has commenced supplies of Azerbaijani natural gas to Syria – a notable ...

... traditionally challenging months for Russia’s fuel market. Gasoline consumption remains high as the holiday season continues, and diesel fuel demand surges with the start of agricultural work. Following the export ban, the primary tool to control gasoline prices is administrative regulation. Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Reliable Partner Association Dmitry Gusev notes that it is too early to assess the ban's effectiveness. The market requires time to rebalance supply and demand. He attributes the sharp rise ...

... "manual regulation" of the fuel market that has been in place since 2018 has its limits, necessitating systemic measures. Stankevich points out that the imposition of a complete export ban on gasoline once again illustrates the absence of market regulation in fuel retail. This measure resembles psychotherapy; the cooling of prices at the stock exchange will be situational and short-lived. There is no motivation to lower or halt the rise in fuel prices. The objective boils down to controlled increases within the annual parameters set. By the end of the year, retail prices ...

... and additives used to produce winter diesel. Gusev suggests possibly stimulating higher production of these components during the winter diesel season. Rodionov points out that due to low competition, oil companies have little incentive to lower prices. The only things that act as a restraint are the regulator's "scolding" (in the form of export bans) and the fear of losing subsidies. This issue could be addressed by increasing the exchange sale quotas — from the current 15% for gasoline and 16% for diesel to 33%. However, one might ...

... balance but with evident signals of forthcoming changes: Oil Market: remains relatively stable due to producer coordination but is sensitive to economic risks. European Gas Market: approaches winter with record reserves, reducing concerns over sharp price spikes. Russian Fuel Market: is increasingly tightly regulated by the government; such "manual" interventions are likely to become the norm in the near future to prevent crises. Global Energy Transition: renewable energy is hitting growth records, while the coal industry is peaking ahead of an ...