Belarus to start importing oil via Odessa-Brody pipeline in March, several tankers planned - Belneftekhim
MINSK. Feb 25 (Interfax) - Oil supplies to Belarusian refineries via the Odessa-Brody pipeline will begin in the near future, in March, Belneftekhim deputy head Vladimir Sizov said.
"Deliveries along the Odessa-Brody pipeline will begin soon, in March. The volume will be several tankers," the BelTA news agency quoted Sizov as telling journalists in Minsk on Tuesday.
"We are now working on the purchase of alternative oil by using the southern route from Ukrainian territory, and using the pipeline infrastructure [the Odessa-Brody pipeline] as the most economical, fast and reliable transport," he said.
Sizov said it is possible to purchase both Azerbaijani and Russian oil. "We are working on the acquisition of resources in the Black Sea. There is the possibility of acquiring the resources of both an Azerbaijani production company and the resources of a Russian producer," Sizov said.
"The volume is determined based on the remaining resources at the refinery and on the basis of actual oil supplies by rail and pipeline from Russia," he said.
Sizov also said that the agreement with Kazakhstan on oil supplies "is in an active stage of preparation." However he said the issue of access to oil from Kazakhstan to the pipeline system has not yet been discussed with Russia: "First, an agreement with Kazakhstan needs to be signed, a supplier needs to be found and then access to the pipeline needs to be discussed."
Sizov also said that an agreement with Kazakhstan on oil supplies "is in the active stage of preparation." However, Sizov said that the issue of access to oil from Kazakhstan to the pipeline system has not yet been discussed with Russia, "First, an agreement needs to be signed with Kazakhstan, find a supplier and then discuss access to the pipeline."
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on January 21 that the country would seek to have 30%-40% of its oil needs imported from Russia, and that Belarus should import 30% of oil via the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and 30% via Ukraine.
Belarus imported 17.6 million tonnes of oil from Russia last year.