Naftogaz confirms resumption of oil transportation to Slovakia, Hungary by Ukrtransnafta

MOSCOW. Aug 12 (Interfax) - Naftogaz of Ukraine has confirmed the resumed oil transportation through the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba oil pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary by JSC Ukrtransnafta.

The Ukrainian media said that the company posted a report to the effect on its website on Thursday evening.

The company said that Ukrtransnafta was paid for transit by the Hungarian oil company MOL on August 10, the money was credited to its account at 4:30 p.m., and the oil transit through the Ukrainian section of the pipeline resumed.

Naftogaz said it had no information about the transit payment from Czechia.

The Hungarian company MOL and the Slovak company Slovnaft (also a member of MOL Group) initiated talks with Ukraine and Russia on the possibility of the transit fee payment by MOL or Slovnaft in order to resume oil supply.

As a result, the oil supply to Slovakia resumed on Wednesday evening, and the oil supply to Hungary resumed in the early hours of Thursday.

The Mero Czech operator of the Druzhba pipeline is expecting the Russian oil supply to resume on Friday or Saturday. The operator said their client would follow in the MOL footsteps and would pay for the transit.

Some 12 million tonnes of Russian oil were transported through the southern line of Druzhba last year, including 3.4 million tonnes to Czechia, 5.2 million tonnes to Slovakia, and 3.4 million tonnes to Hungary.