Official: Belarus can get $61 mln redress for 2019 contamination

MINSK, Feb 26 (PRIME) -- Belarus can receive a more than U.S. $61 million compensation from Russia for 563,000 tonnes of contaminated oil sent to the Mozyr refinery via the Druzhba pipeline in 2019, spokesperson for Belneftekhim Alexander Tishchenko told PRIME on Wednesday.

“We have 563,000 tonnes of dirty oil refined by the Mozyr refinery under the protocol. Compensation is calculated as $15 per barrel under the same method as for the other neighbors (of Russia), to which Russia compensated… This way, Belarus can receive a more than $61 million compensation,” the official said.

In April 2019, oil that Russian companies export to Europe through Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline got contaminated with chlorides, forcing Poland and Ukraine to stop their oil intake at the end of the month. Export pumping of oil through the pipe was restored completely on July 1, 2019.

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