Bulgaria
net importerKept a sanctions exemption for Russian crude until the end of 2024; the Burgas refinery is owned by Lukoil.
Answer
Bulgaria imports about 97 thousand barrels of crude a day. The largest suppliers are Kazakhstan (37%), Iraq (18%) and Saudi Arabia (14%).
Data: 2025 annual averages
Key figures
- Crude oil imports, barrels per day
- 97 thousand
- Largest supplier
- Kazakhstan · 37%
- Real risk
- Suez Canal / SUMED · 32%
- Petrol 95 (26 Oct)
- €1.63
Where does Bulgaria get its oil from?
| Supplier | share | thousand b/d |
|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | 37% | 36 |
| Iraq | 18% | 17 |
| Saudi Arabia | 14% | 14 |
| Guyana | 8% | 8 |
| Norway | 6% | 6 |
| Libya | 5% | 5 |
| other sources (not on the map) | 11% | 11 |
UN Comtrade, JODI-Oil · 2025
Which chokepoints does Bulgaria's oil pass through?
The main maritime chokepoints on the way are Turkish Straits (52% of imports), Suez Canal / SUMED (32% of imports) and Strait of Hormuz (18% of imports).
- Turkish Straits52% of imports · 50
- Suez Canal / SUMED32% of imports · 31
- Strait of Hormuz18% of imports · 17
- Bab el-Mandeb18% of imports · 17
Real risk: Suez Canal / SUMED – 32% of imports this way. Depends on the situation in the Red Sea; the Ever Given blockage (2021) halted 12% of world trade for 6 days.
UN Comtrade · 2025
How much crude oil does Bulgaria import?
Imports 97 thousand barrels of crude a day – one supertanker every 3 weeks. There is practically no domestic production; crude imports cover 85% of fuel consumption, the rest is refined products and biofuels.
JODI-Oil · 2025
Fuel prices – Bulgaria
Petrol 95: €1.63 per litre · Diesel: €1.89 per litre.
- Petrol 95: 4th cheapest of 27 in the EU; 17% below the EU average.
- Petrol 95: +€0.41 since 23 Feb (before the crisis): crude oil ≈ +€0.31, refining and margins ≈ +€0.03, taxes +€0.07.
- taxes and levies: 39% (Petrol 95), 34% (Diesel).
European Commission – Weekly Oil Bulletin · October 26, 2026
Bulgaria: how did the 2026 oil crisis affect supplies and prices?
- February 28, 2026Iran closes the Strait of HormuzBulgaria: 17 thousand barrels a day (18% of imports) with no way throughWikipedia: 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- March 11, 2026IEA countries release 400 million barrels from emergency stocksBulgaria: 17 thousand barrels a day (18% of imports) with no way throughIEA, 11 Mar 2026
- September 11, 2026Drones hit Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline – the main route around HormuzBulgaria: 31 thousand barrels a day (32% of imports) with no way throughCNBC, 14 Sept 2026
- September 28, 2026The East-West pipeline runs again, at lower capacityBulgaria: 17 thousand barrels a day (18% of imports) with no way throughwnp.pl, 28 Sept 2026
Effect on supplies: model of oil routes (2025 flows), stranded = no sea route left on that day.
Sources
- UN Comtrade – crude oil imports by country of origin (HS 2709), as reported by the importing country · 2025
- JODI-Oil – national crude oil production, imports and exports · 2025
- U.S. EIA – crude oil and petroleum products passing through maritime chokepoints · 2023
- European Commission – Weekly Oil Bulletin – national average pump prices with and without taxes, reported weekly by EU member states · October 26, 2026
Related questions
- Where does Kazakhstan's oil go?
- Where does Iraq's oil go?
- Where does Saudi Arabia's oil go?
- Which countries depend on the Turkish Straits?
- Where does the EU get its crude oil?
- Where is fuel cheapest in the EU?
- How much of the fuel price is tax in the EU?
- How have fuel prices changed in the EU since the 2026 oil crisis?
Download the data
CSV and JSON, CC BY 4.0 – credit “chokepoints.io” with a link. Volumes in thousand barrels per day, 2025 annual averages.
Countries (CSV)Trade routes (CSV)Chokepoints (CSV)Everything (JSON)DOI 10.5281/zenodo.23267750 (Zenodo)