Gas Stations Exit the Market: Who and Why is Selling Fuel Stations in Russia

The number of petrol stations (PS) for sale in Russia is increasing. This trend is evident not only among independent PS not owned by large oil companies but also within networks that are "dumping ballast" by shedding their least profitable assets.

There are typically two reasons for this move: the desire to profit from the sale of a promising business or, conversely, the attempt to rid oneself of a loss-making enterprise. In the latter case, if the asset fails to sell, it is highly likely to be shut down. This impacts fuel supply, particularly in regions where there are no major networked petrol stations. Moreover, a reduction in the number of players inevitably leads to diminished competition, which could either result in price increases or at least maintain prices at a high level.

The number of PS in Russia has started to decline as early as 2025, with "OMT-Consult" reporting a decrease of 1.6%. This downward trend continued in the first half of this year, with a further 1% drop. Notably, mobile petrol stations (container stations) have largely disappeared.

By the second half of 2026, there were approximately 28,000 petrol stations in Russia, slightly over 23,400 of which were traditional petrol stations (selling petrol and diesel from non-mobile stations).

The share of independent players in the total number of stations is around 65%, with the highest concentration in the east and south of Russia. Yet, independent stations account for only 30% of the market in terms of petrol and diesel sales. Primarily, independent PS acquire fuel in small wholesale volumes, which is the segment that has experienced the highest price increases this summer and supply interruptions. This may explain the owners' desire to sell their businesses, although the process also affects major players.

For example, last week, operational petrol stations, land plots for business along federal highways, and production facilities belonging to "Bashneft-Retail" were put up for sale or rent. The number of objects can be inferred from their geography; they are located in Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Orenburg, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Penza, Vladimir, Moscow, Ryazan, and Smolensk regions, as well as in the republics of Tatarstan, Mordovia, Udmurtia, Chuvashia, and Mari El. Earlier, it was announced that "Gazprom" and "Lukoil" are selling "non-core" petrol stations. The latter still has listings for the sale of eight petrol stations on its website.

Regarding independent players, problems with one of the largest independent petrol station networks, "Trassa," have been widely reported; it is facing a debt crisis and may be subject to external management or put up for auction. Currently, around 170 petrol stations are for sale on various trading platforms.

However, as noted by Yuri Stankevich, Deputy Chairperson of the State Duma Committee on Energy, discussing a "mass sell-off" might be somewhat inappropriate. Today, fuel retail represents a heterogeneous competitive space, with fragments in various regions of the country differing significantly from one another. The fuel supply shortage has primarily affected independent petrol stations. Such stations are often "unplugging their hoses," leading to the perception of market saturation, where assets are de facto not finding any application.

The geography of petrol station sale listings spans almost the entire country. According to Sergey Tereshkin, CEO of Open Oil Market, the situation arises from declining margins in PS operations and issues with fuel availability for trade. Exchange prices for petrol and diesel have risen by 30-37%, with even higher increases in the small wholesale segment, resulting in a tougher position for fuel retail compared to the oil refining segment, which is subsidized.

Additionally, the decline in fuel availability on exchanges due to reductions in mandatory sales quotas for large oil companies has had an impact. The lower the quota and the greater the leniency on over-the-counter transactions, the smaller the volume of fuel available to traders. Ultimately, independent petrol stations suffer the most, as they purchase petrol and diesel from traders. The reduction in physical sales volumes means that PS operators earn less per litre of fuel sold.

According to Sergey Frolov, managing partner of NEFT Research, the current redistribution of ownership in the retail fuel market was anticipated. Currently, private owners of individual petrol stations or small networks with low efficiency are exiting the business. Large oil companies are also optimizing unprofitable locations and restructuring their networks to adapt to new conditions.

The expert believes that a reduction in the number of petrol stations is unlikely to have a serious impact on the overall situation in the fuel sector, as many of them are reportedly standing empty. When the fuel supply situation improves, the number of private petrol stations will likely increase again, especially if high prices persist.

It is unlikely that one can sell a petrol station now; this should have been done in the year before last when the business was profitable, says Dmitry Gusev, Deputy Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the "Reliable Partner" association and a member of the expert council for the "Petrol Stations of Russia" contest. The issue is not merely that attempts are being made to sell them, but that we do not know how necessary all these petrol stations are. At present, priorities for the domestic fuel market are defined. The main task is to ensure the supply for networked stations of large companies, agricultural producers, and industrial enterprises, but not independent petrol station networks, the expert clarifies.

Stankevich expresses a similar view. "Unfortunately, the situation in 2026 has demonstrated that the retail fuel market has developed chaotically over many years. We lack a qualified understanding of the sufficient number of petrol stations necessary to confidently assert the accessibility of infrastructure for consumers. Systematic planning for the development of the retail network is not being conducted, resulting in many municipalities, even in Central Russia, lacking operational stations. For example, in the case of energy and heating infrastructure, such planning occurs at the level of documents that are regularly updated by the government (placement schemes for facilities). The situation in fuel retail needs to be addressed," he said.

Source: RG.RU