Poland cuts off Druzhba pipeline branch due to leak

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
6 Aug 2023 23:06
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The leading company in crude and fuel logistics in Poland, PERN, announces it has cut off of one branch of Russia's Druzhba pipeline after detecting a leak, but reaffirms that the second branch continues to function normally.

The Druzhba oil pipeline between Hungary and Russia is seen at the Hungarian MOL Group's Danube Refinery in Szazhalombatta, Hungary. (AFP)

The Polish operator, PERN, announced, on Sunday, that it had closed off one of the two streams of the Russian Druzhba oil pipeline, which crosses to Germany through Poland.

The leading company in crude and fuel logistics stated that “PERN’s automation systems detected a leak” on Saturday evening, which led to the decision that the main section of the stream be “immediately turned off.” According to the company, emergency teams have been working to secure and repair the pipeline with the support of the Polish Fire Services.

PERN also reaffirmed that “At the moment, the company is investigating the causes of the incident” and is “in constant contact” with German counterparts.

The Polish operator clarified that the second branch continues to function normally. However, there was no mention of open communication with Russia.

Hungary awaits explanation on Druzhba pipeline future

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced earlier in May that Hungary is awaiting clarifications from Ukraine and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over allegations of a possible halt in oil shipments from Russia to the EU via the Druzhba pipeline.

Von der Leyen, according to media reports from that month, had suggested to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to suspend the Druzhba pipeline as part of the anticipated 11th package of anti-Russia sanctions.

Similarly, The Financial Times reported that the EU considered furthering anti-Russian oil sanctions through the suspension of the Druzhba pipeline. However, The Financial Times had refused to provide any comments on the topic.

It is worth noting that the Druzhba pipeline network began in the 1960s and pumps oil from the Urals to Europe through a northern branch via Poland and a southern branch via Ukraine. It is the world's longest oil pipeline and one of the biggest oil pipeline networks in the world. It carries oil some 4,000 kilometers from the eastern part of European Russia to points in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany, but mainly supplies the Schwedt and Leuna refineries in Germany.

A year earlier, on May 26, 2022, Advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of Energy, Lana Zerkal, warned that Kiev may decide to do something about the Hungarian Druzhba oil pipeline that passes through Ukrainian territory. At the time, Zerkal threatened as Budapest had been unwilling to abandon Russian oil.