Clean Russian crude oil reaches Belarus

Clean Russian crude in the Druzhba pipeline reached Belarus at 1240 on 2 May, reports the press office of Belarusian petrochemical monopoly Belnaftakhim. The chlorides-contaminated oil had been pumped out from the pipe into reservoirs.

The quality of the arriving oil was checked by representatives of Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft and the Belarusian Druzhba operator Gomeltransneft Druzhba. At 1428, clean oil began to flow towards Mazyr in southern Belarus. Belarus had assumed earlier that the refinery in Mazyr would receive clean crude not earlier than by 4 May.

Oil contaminated with chlorides at the level 30 times more than normal was detected in the Druzhba pipeline on the territory of Belarus on 19 April. The chlorides damaged the equipment at the refinery in Mazyr. European countries then halted the imports of Russian Urals crude. Belarus estimated the losses at nearly $100 million.