Russian DPM calls not to politicize west-bound crude oil quality

The problem of crude oil flowing via Belarus through the Druzhba pipeline is of purely technical nature and should not be politicized, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak told journlaists in a statement, reports TASS.

Mr Kozak said that on 26 April officials from Russia, Belarus, Poland and Ukraine will gather for a four-party meeting in Minsk to find a solution about removing the contaminated oil from the Druzhba pipeline.

The Russian official promised that the companies responsible for the contamination of oil as well as their managers would face punishment, including financial responsibility. Mr Kozak explained that four mining companies operate at the point where oil enters the pipeline. "The law-enforcement agencies are working to identify those responsible of the significant damage that everyone has suffered: our refineries, our foreign partners and Transneft," he added.

Euroradio reported earlier that on April 19, Belarus' State Petrochemical Industry Concern Belnaftakhim announced that low-quality oil had been coming from Russia through the Druzhba (Friendship) oil pipeline for a few days.

They said that the oil contained elevated levels of chloride and warned that the substance causes corrosion and may damage heat exchange equipment and catalyst systems.

Mazyr Oil Refinery in the Homyel region was the first to receive low-quality Russian oil. Later, the refinery said its expensive equipment had been damaged by corrosion.

On 24 April, Poland and Germany stopped receving the contaminated Russian oil from the Druzhba pipeline.