Russia puts Druzhba oil contamination damage at below $100 mln

SOCHI, May 15 (PRIME) -- Russia will discuss damage from contamination of oil shipped to Belarus and other countries but it can be below U.S. $100 million, Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on Wednesday.

“The media publish various figures, which raise the question of where they come from. But of course, this is not billions of dollars and not even hundreds of million dollars,” Novak said.

“According to my estimates … they have not been calculated yet, the entire situation … will require compensation, less than $100 million. But we will calculate it more precisely. This is not just Belarus, this is everything,” the minister said.

He added that the Russian estimate of the loss will be made in a month.

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. Good-quality oil started coming from Russia to Belarus on May 2.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on May 11 that contaminated Russian oil coming through the Druzhba pipeline had brought Belarus a loss of hundreds of millions dollars and Minsk expects that Moscow will not dispute it.

Aide to the CEO of Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft Igor Dyomin said that quality oil will soon be shipped by the northern line of Druzhba, which will ensure a restart of shipments to Poland and Germany.

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