Russia's Druzhba pipeline resumes crude supply to Belarus: Belta news

Russia's Druzhba pipeline has resumed crude supply in the direction of Belarus, the Belarus Belta news agency reported Dec. 21.

Gomeltransneft Druzhba, which operates the Belarus section of the 1.5 million b/d pipeline, said it was operating normally, according to the report. Supply was halted on Dec. 19.

On Dec. 20, Belta cited Belneftekhim, the operator of Belarus' two refineries - Mozyr and Naftan - as saying that shipments were suspended, but noted that the plants had sufficient stocks to continue operating and ensure products shipments in full.

A spokesperson for Hungarian refiner MOL told S&P Global Commodity Insights that flows had been suspended through both the north and southern branches of the pipeline network. Reuters earlier reported that a technical incident at a Russian pumping station in Unecha first took operations offline Dec. 19.

The MOL spokesperson said Dec. 20 that its Slovakian and Hungarian refineries, Bratislava and Danube, continued to produce at full capacity, with pipeline operations expected to be restored within "a few days."

Druzhba ships crude oil to Belarus where it splits in southern and northern branches heading to Poland, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia and Czechia.

A spokesperson for Polish state pipeline operator PERN said that the outage had delayed December deliveries to its Adamowo Zastawa border pumping station which were due to begin Dec. 20.

Various offtakes from the pipeline network have sought to wean themselves off Russian supplies in response to the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, with Poland and Germany halting Russian crude imports and the Czech Republic planning to suspend flows around June 2025 after the completion of its TAL pipeline project.

Nonetheless, Germany has continued to rely on Kazakh oil flows through the Druzhba connection.

Germany's Schwedt refinery near Berlin has been sourcing about 20% of its feedstock with Kazakhstan Export Blend Crude Oil via Poland to supplement supplies delivered via the ports of Rostock and Gdansk, according to government statements in September.