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25 April 2019, 12:36

Poland stops oil transit via Druzhba pipeline

MINSK, 25 April (BelTA) – Poland has stopped oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline. The Belarusian side has received the relevant notification by phone from PERN Company, which is in charge of operating the Polish section of the Druzhba pipeline, BelTA learned from Andrei Verigo, Chief Engineer of the Belarusian oil pipeline operating company OAO Gomeltransneft Druzhba.

The official said: “We've received a letter from PERN saying that oil refineries in Poland and Germany are unable to take in and process oil with the parameters registered in the oil transfer hub Adamowo. As of 22:00 Warsaw time or 23:00 Minsk time on 24 April they stopped collecting oil. In other words, they stopped transporting oil to Poland in the Adamowo hub for an indefinite period of time.”

This is why OAO Gomeltransneft Druzhba notified Bryansk about the suspension of transit in the western direction due to substandard oil and due to PERN Company's refusal to accept it. “The oil pipeline to the west of Mozyr is fully stopped. The valves have been closed. Oil is still being delivered via another branch in amounts sufficient for transit in the direction of Ukraine. About 40,000 tonnes per day,” Andrei Verigo said.

PERN Company also said that the continued delivery of oil with high concentration of chlorides may cause a serious industrial accident both at oil refineries and in PERN Company's logistics system.

Marina Kostyuchenko, Press Secretary of the Belarusian state petrochemical concern Belneftekhim, has also confirmed that oil transit towards Poland has been stopped.

“For a week Belneftekhim has been in negotiations with Russian Transneft over poor-quality oil. Belneftekhim insists that the problem of supplying quality oil to Belarusian oil refineries and into the oil pipeline system must be resolved as soon as possible. However, the Russian side is taking its time to fix the problem despite promises that the problem would be settled within 2-3 days,” Marina Kostyuchenko said.

“Our neighbors didn't want to wait. Due to the refusal of all oil refineries to take oil with high concentration of organic chlorides the Polish company PERN has stopped taking in oil. The fact will damage reputation of the Russian companies that supply oil to Europe. Unfortunately, it will also make difficult the work of the Belarusian pipeline system and Mozyr Oil Refinery,” the press secretary added.

BelTA reported earlier that the quality of Russian export oil variety Urals transported in transit via OAO Polotsktransneft Druzhba's main oil pipeline worsened considerably last week. The poor-quality oil has already damaged expensive equipment at Mozyr Oil Refinery. Both Belarusian oil refineries – OAO Naftan and Mozyr Oil Refinery – have been forced to reduce their workload.

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