MINSK, 19 May (BelTA) - The Belarusian state petrochemical concern Belneftekhim expects the tanker with U.S. oil to arrive in Klaipeda before 5 June, Spokesman for Belneftekhim Aleksandr Tishchenko told BelTA.
“The tanker left the port of Beaumont [Texas] on 16 May. The arrival in Klaipeda is scheduled to take place before 5 June,” Aleksandr Tishchenko said.
Oil will be delivered from the port of Klaipeda to Belarus' oil refinery Naftan by rail. It will take about a week and a half.
As BelTA reported earlier, the tanker will deliver 80,000 tonnes of Bakken crude oil from the United States for Belarus. The deal was concluded with the participation of the U.S. energy trader United Energy Trading, and also with the assistance of U.S. firm Getka and their Polish partner UNIMOT.
Belarus' Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said that the delivery of oil from the United States to Belarus became possible as a result of the agreements reached during the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to Belarus and his meeting with Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko. The delivery of American oil is part of the state strategy to diversify sources (supply) and secure steady functioning of the oil processing complex of Belarus in 2020 and subsequent years.
