Belarus suspends oil transit to Ukraine, Poland via Druzhba pipe

MINSK, May 17 (PRIME) -- Belarus has stopped pumping oil to Ukraine via the Druzhba pipeline due to the lack of available tanks for removing dirty oil from the pipeline and will resume the operation on May 20, state holding Belneftekhim said on Friday.

“Transit pumping to Ukraine is unstable and currently suspended due to the lack of empty tanks on the Ukrainian territory for dirty oil in the pipeline. According to a new schedule, pumping will be resumed at night from May 19 to May 20,” the statement read.

It also said that pumping to Poland is also suspended.

Belarus’s Mozyr refinery is fully loaded with Russian oil, but the Naftan refinery is still underloaded, Belneftekhim also 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 crude from Druzhba on April 24, and Ukraine on April 25. Good-quality oil started coming from Russia to Belarus on May 2.

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