MINSK, 17 October (BelTA) – The Belarusian state petrochemical concern Belneftekhim will decide by the end of the year whether a facility to check the quality of oil coming from Russia needs to be built as part of the oil pipeline system Druzhba, BelTA learned from Belneftekhim Deputy Chairman Vladimir Sizov during the 2nd international science, technology and investment forum on chemical engineering and oil and gas processing Petro 2019 on 17 October.
“The decision is being made. We expect it may be made by the end of the year,” Vladimir Sizov said.
He did not specify how much building the facility will cost.
First Deputy Director General, Chief Engineer of OAO Gomeltransneft Druzhba Andrei Verigo told the Belneftekhim corporate magazine in an interview that the situation around polluted Russian oil had prompted adjustments in efforts to ensure safe and reliable operation of the Belarusian part of the oil pipeline system Druzhba. “We are now discussing the construction of an incoming oil quality verification and flow measurement facility with Belneftekhim. Such a facility would provide additional guarantees of safety and control of the amount and quality of incoming oil,” Andrei Verigo explained.
BelTA reported earlier that on 19 April Belneftekhim registered a massive decrease in the quality of the Russian oil mixture Urals coming via the oil pipeline system Druzhba. The concentration of chlororganic compounds in oil exceeded standard thresholds dozens of times over. As a result a number of countries stopped taking and processing Russian oil. Both Belarusian oil refineries – OAO Naftan and Mozyr Oil Refinery – were forced to reduce their workload and suffered financial losses. Damage was also caused to the pipeline system.
