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Contaminated oil driving out to Russia completed in advance

In April, exports of the Russian oil to Poland, Ukraine, Germany, Hungary and Slovenia were suspended due to its contamination with organic chlorides in the Druzhba pipeline

MINSK, July 12. /TASS/. Gomeltransneft Druzhba completed driving-out of oil with high content of organic chlorides from Belarus to Russia ahead of time, press service of the company reports on Friday.

"All the operations of off-spec oil substitution in main pipelines and the tankfarm in the territory of Belarus were completed on July 11. The oil pipeline from the border of the Republic to Unecha line pump station in the Russian Federation was cleaned on July 12 by 13.00 pm [coinciding with Moscow time - TASS]. Hence, Gomeltransneft Druzhba completed in advance activities of the roadmap on driving-out of oil not meeting requirements of State Standard GOST 31378 to the territory of Russia," the press service says.

The Druzhba oil pipeline supplies oil to Belarusian refineries and provides its transit to Europe. In April, exports of the Russian oil to Poland, Ukraine, Germany, Hungary and Slovenia were suspended due to its contamination with organic chlorides in the Druzhba pipeline. Belarusian refineries were forced to reduce utilization rates because of insufficient volumes of clean oil. Supplies of on-spec oil to Belarus resumed in early May.

Minsk and Moscow have agreed a set of measures to replace off-spec Russian oil on the territory of Belarus, as well as additional supplies to Belarusian refineries.

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