Baku: Oil refining in Azerbaijan experienced a significant decline of more than 18% over the first four months of 2025.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, operational data from January to April 2025 revealed that the country produced a total of 9.1 million tons of oil, including condensate, during this period, as reported by the Ministry of Energy.

The breakdown of this production includes 5.3 million tons from the 'Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli' (ACG) block, 1.3 million tons of condensate from the 'Shah Deniz' field, and 0.2 million tons of condensate from the 'Absheron' field. SOCAR, the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic, contributed 2.3 million tons to the production total.

Despite the production figures, only 1.8 million tons of oil were refined in the first four months of the year, marking an 18.2% decrease compared to the same period last year. The reduction in refining activity has raised concerns about the country's oil processing capabilities.

During the same period, 7.8 million tons of oil, including condensate, were exported. Of this exported volume, 6.6 million tons originated from consortiums, 1 million tons from SOCAR, and 0.2 million tons from the 'Absheron' field. In April alone, the daily oil production, including condensate, averaged 75.1 thousand tons, equivalent to 566 thousand barrels per day. This included 61.6 thousand tons of crude oil and 13.5 thousand tons of condensate.

The Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery, established in 1953, is responsible for refining oil in Azerbaijan and currently supplies the country's oil product needs. The facility is undergoing reconstruction and modernization efforts to enhance its processing capabilities and efficiency.