Russia’s Transneft expects Ukraine to steal fuel from pipeline

MOSCOW, Jan 13 (PRIME) -- Russian oil pipeline company Transneft expects Ukraine to try to steal fuel from its Samara-Western Direction pipeline which contains around 100,000 tonnes of diesel worth around U.S. $100 million, First Deputy CEO Sergei Grishanin told reporters on Tuesday.

“Around 100,000 tonnes of fuel remains in the pipe (on Ukraine’s territory). We suppose that there will be an attempt to steal it, as 100,000 tonnes is around $100 million. We will use all affordable legal instruments to settle the situation,” he said.

Transneft has to force out Euro 3 standard fuel from the pipe in the direction of Hungary in order to start pumping Euro 4 fuel, Grishanin said.

Ukraine nationalized Transneft’s 1.5 kilometer transit oil product pipeline. On November 25, 2014, Rovno’s Court of Appeals ruled that the nationalization was legitimate. Transneft challenged the decision in the Supreme Economic Court of Ukraine.

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