ZCZC
BFF-31
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-BELARUS-POLAND-OIL
Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus officials discuss poor oil quality
MINSK, April 26, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Russian, Polish, Ukrainian and
Belarusian officials will meet in Minsk on Friday to discuss the recent poor
quality of Russian oil supplies that caused deliveries from Russia to be cut
short this week.
Representatives of oil transport companies from the four countries, as
well as officials from Russia’s energy ministry will meet in the Belarusian
capital.
Russia’s Transneft, Ukraine’s Ukrtransnafta, Poland’s PERN and Belarus’
Belneftekhim will take part in the talks.
Rumours about the poor quality of oil, with excess chloride, have
circulated since Wednesday and pushed up the price of the commodity.
The delivery of Russian oil through the major “Druzhba” (“Friendship”)
pipeline was interrupted Thursday towards Poland, Germany and Slovakia.
Ukrtransnafta announced it will stop Ukraine’s transit of the pipeline
and warned of the threat of its “complete shutdown”.
“Today, the refineries are working at about 50 percent of the delivery
level before they had degrading characteristics,” said the deputy head of
Belneftekhim Vladimir Sizov.
He estimated losses as a result at about $100 million.
Russia’s energy ministry said in a statement that it was a working to
resolve the issue.
Analyst Mike Lynch called the case “quite strange” and that it could be
linked to “technical problems at a Russian refinery.”
“It has caused some nervousness in the markets, but it seems the
situation can be resolved rapidly,” he said.
BSS/AFP/RY/1710 hrs