Russian oil cos quintuple oil delivery to Belarus in Jan
MINSK. Feb 2 (Interfax) - Russian oil companies supplied Belarus with more than 1.83 million tonnes of oil in January, a 5.1-fold year-on-year increase, according to Fuel and Energy Dispatch Center (TsDU TEK) figures.
Russian oil companies increased exports to countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States by 65.2% to 2.609 million tonnes last month. However, January exports of Russian crude to Kazakhstan contracted by 43.7% to 413,000 tonnes and to Ukraine by 25.5% to 490,000 tonnes.
Russian crude exports to non-CIS countries dipped 1.9% year-on-year to 17.78 million tonnes.
Since January 1, 2011, Belarus has had the right to import oil from Russia sans quotas and duties, but is obligated to transfer to the Russian budget 100% of duties on exported oil products made from Russian oil. But Russian oil companies declined to deliver oil to Belarus, despite the republic's ratification of an agreement on how to divide import duties on oil and oil products in the context of the Common Economic Space. The reason for this was a requirement that a supplier sign an additional agreement involving premiums, which the Belarusian concern Belneftekhim took to be a distorted duty on oil.
According to Belarusian statistics committee Belstat, Belarusian oil refineries processed 20.474 million tonnes of oil last year, which was 24.4% more than in 2010.
This year, under new contracts, the premium for suppliers was reduced to $1.40 per tonne, which corresponds to premiums for shipments to Poland and Germany. Also, Russian suppliers now have full rights as to the disposition of finished product made from their crude. Belneftekhim projects that Belarusian refineries are looking to process 23.4 million tonnes of oil this year.
