Black Sea Petroleum, a company owned by Georgian businesswoman Maka Asatiani that operates the newly launched Kulevi oil refinery in western Georgia, announced that it will begin refining “crude oil of entirely non-Russian origin” starting in August-September, saying the shift will “open doors to high-margin markets” for its products.
July 1’s statement said the company “continues to develop the plant in accordance with its strategic plan and to make a significant contribution to Georgia’s economic development,” adding that it has expanded its partnership with technology company Honeywell “to cover the procurement and implementation of high-tech equipment and automated control systems.”
It further said that it will “begin producing road bitumen for domestic and export markets,” and will “gain the capacity to produce aviation fuel” by the second quarter of 2027.
The Kulevi refinery, a project inaugurated in 2024 by Georgian officials as the largest private investment project in Georgia’s post-independence history, first drew controversy in October 2025, when Russian oil company Russneft supplied its first oil cargo to the facility. At the time, Georgian authorities maintained that the shipment complied with international sanctions, while critics warned that such deliveries could create a potential channel for re-exporting Russian oil under a Georgian designation.
The questions came amid broader concerns and journalistic investigations pointing to the possibility that Russian oil products may be reaching European countries through Georgia, particularly in light of the recorded spike in Georgia’s oil exports.
The controversy also extended to Kulevi port, which is owned and operated by Azerbaijan’s SOCAR. In March 2026, the European Union considered including the port in its proposed 20th sanctions package against Russia, but ultimately dropped the measure, citing “positive commitments” made by the Georgian authorities and the port operator.
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