Belarus says starts receiving good oil from Russia

MINSK/MOSCOW, May 6 (PRIME) – Good oil from Russia has started coming to Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline on May 2, and the Mozyr oil refinery started receiving the oil on May 4, Belarusian state petrochemical holding Belneftekhim said on May 2.

“According to the information of the dispatching service of Gomeltransneft Druzhba, standard-quality oil came to the border of the Republic of Belarus on May 2 at 12.40 p.m. local time together with a separator. The oil that was contaminated by chlorides had been driven out of the Russian thread of the Druzhba pipeline to the reservoirs of line operations dispatching station Unecha,” Belneftekhim said on May 2.

A representative of the Russian Energy Ministry told reporters that quality oil came to the Mozyr metering station on May 4, and Belneftekhin confirmed the fact later. Oil transportation was to restart on May 5, and the Mozyr refinery was to start refining on May 6, the Belarusian company said.

The problem with the quality of oil coming from Russia to Europe across Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline appeared in mid-April. As oil contaminated with chlorides moved through the pipes, Poland stopped receiving the black gold from Druzhba on April 24, and Ukraine on April 25.

Belarus has suspended transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline following Poland and Ukraine, and said that the oil damaged the equipment of the Mozyr refinery.

The Russian ministry also said that the quality of oil in the port of Ust-Luga will start improving from Tuesday.

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