1st LD,Writethru: Russian Oil Exports to Europe Via Belarus Resumedin Full
1st LD,Writethru: Russian oil exports to Europe via Belarus resumed in full
MOSCOW, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft has restored oil supplies to Belarus through the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, the company’s deputy chief Sergei Grigoriev announced on Thursday.
“Russian oil was pumped to Belarus in full” at 8:22 Moscow time (0522 GMT), the Interfax news agency quoted Grigoriev as saying.
The Unecha pumping station in the Bryansk region had restarted, the trunk pipelines were operating on schedule, and no disruption occurred, the vice president of the company said.
The announcement came one day after Belarus allowed 79,000 tonnes of seized Russian oil to flow to Europe through the Druzhba pipeline.
Russia provides about a quarter of the oil and gas consumed in the European Union, some of which is piped through Belarus. The disruption on the Druzhba pipeline, which began on Monday morning, has affected Poland, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Hungarian oil and gas company MOL has confirmed the resumption of supplies of Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipe. “The resumed oil supplies to MOL refineries are being carried out as normal, at normal pressure,” the company said in a statement.
According to the Druzhba export schedule for the first quarter of 2007, the pipeline was to transport 15.5 million tonnes of oil, including 5.56 million tonnes to Germany; 4.61 million tonnes to Poland, another 1.22 million tonnes to the Polish city of Gdansk (for further export); 1.12 million tonnes to the Czech republic; 1.244 million tonnes to Slovakia; and 1.75 million tonnes to Hungary.
However, Transneft chief Semeon Vainshtok said that although oil transit through trunk pipelines passing through Belarus to Europe would be resumed in full, it would not be possible to meet January’s supply targets in full.
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