Belarus drops volume of oil transit to Poland citing ‘unscheduled repairs’

Belarus will limit the pumping of oil to Poland through its section of the Druzhba pipeline for three days from Thursday, Transneft official Igor Demin announced yesterday. Gomeltransneft, the Belarusian subsidiary of Russia’s Transneft, is carrying out “unscheduled repairs”, Demin said, adding that its planned transit target for November remains unchanged.

The volume cut is taking place to a backdrop of escalating violence between migrants and Polish guards on the country’s border with Belarus. However Polish pipeline operator PERN said in response to Demin’s announcement, reported by Russian state news agency TASS, that Transneft had informed it that oil flows would be “slightly reduced”. Poland’s crude oil system remains secure and operational, PERN added. As well as Poland, the Druzhba’s southern and northern pipelines transit oil to Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Germany.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko last week threatened to halt gas transits via the Yamal pipeline after the EU discussed further sanctions against Belarus over the violent events at its border with Poland. However Russian President Vladimir Putin said in response that Moscow opposed this move. German authorities then reported increased gas flows through the Yamal pipeline over the weekend.