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Polish Orlen does not rule out seeking compensation for poor quality oil supplies

Earlier, the Polish energy ministry decided to suspend supplies of the Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline via the hub on the border with Belarus due to deterioration of the fuel’s quality

© EPA-EFE/Toms Kalnins

WARSAW, April 25. /TASS/. Poland’s largest oil refiner Orlen does not rule out that it may seek a compensation if poor quality oil gets to its refineries, Member of the Management Board, Development, Zbigniew Leszczynski told a press conference on Thursday when commenting the suspension of oil flows via the Druzhba pipeline.

"At the Plock refinery we currently have oil of good quality. We are carrying out investigations. If it is confirmed that bad oil has got into our system we will be discussing a potential compensation due to the bad quality of oil with our partners," he said.

Meanwhile, Leszczynski said that currently the situation in the company is stable, adding that all oil at its disposal is of good quality. He noted that there are no problems with the oil quality in the Czech Republic either, where Orlen’s subsidiary Unipetrol has operations. "There the oil meets all requirements," he said, adding that "no deterioration of the quality has been revealed."

On Wednesday, the Polish energy ministry announced a decision to suspend supplies of the Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline via the Adamovo hub on the border with Belarus due to deterioration of the fuel’s quality and the risk of damaging the oil transfer system and refining facilities.

On April 19, the Belarusian side reported a sharp deterioration of the quality of the Russian oil running through the Gomeltransneft Druzhba main oil pipeline. The contaminant source had been revealed at the Samara-Unecha section of the Druzhba pipeline. Russia’s Energy Ministry referred to technical issues as a reason of deterioration of the oil quality, saying that the problem would be solved quickly.

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Oil & Gas Poland

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