MOSCOW, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Transit shipments of Russian oil supplies to Poland, Germany and Ukraine through Belarus were stopped over the weekend, the Interfax news agency reported on Monday, but the
European Union (EU) said the bloc faced "no immediate risk" of energy shortage.
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An oil refinery in Plock, Poland, is seen in this
undated handout photo. Oil supplies to Poland and Germany via Russia's
giant Druzhba pipeline were stopped overnight due to problems connected
with a trade dispute between Russia and Belarus, Polish officials said on
January 8, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery
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An oil refinery in Plock, Poland, is seen in this
undated handout photo. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery
>>> |
The
Druzhba pipeline "is not pumping oil in the direction of Poland, Germany and
Ukraine under orders from Belneftekhim," a spokesman for Belarus' pipeline
operator Belneftekhim was quoted as saying.
Poland and Germany confirmed the stoppage of Russian
oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said on Monday
the disruption of oil supplies from Russia posed "no immediate risk" to energy
supplies in the bloc. Piebalgs said he had asked Russian and Belarussian
authorities to give an explanation.
Belarus and Russia came to loggerheads over oil
transit after the two countries resolved a trade dispute over natural gas.
Moscow has imposed export duties on crude oil supplied to Belarus while Minsk
has slapped a new customs duty on Russian oil transiting through Belarus.
Semyon Vainshtok, chief of Russian pipeline operator
Transneft, on Monday accused Belarus of siphoning off Russian oil meant for
consumers in western Europe.
"On Jan. 6, the Belarussian side, without warning
anyone, unilaterally started illegal oil tapping from the Druzhba pipeline,"
which amounted to over 79,000 tons of Russian oil, Interfax quoted Vainshtok as
saying.
Vainshtok urged Belarus to ensure transit deliveries
of Russian oil to western Europe.
The stoppage came just over a week after Belarus
agreed to pay more than double the previous price for Russian gas supplies this
year.
Under a deal with Russian gas giant Gazprom, Belarus
would buy Russian gas at 100 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic meters in 2007.
Gazprom agreed to pay more for gas transit through Belarus to Europe. Belarus
bought gas from Russia at 46.7 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters in 2006.
Russia provides about a quarter of the oil and gas
consumed in the EU, some of which are piped through Belarus, mainly to Poland,
Germany and Lithuania.
Related:
Russian oil supplies to Poland
disrupted
WARSAW, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- A dispute between Russia and
Belarus over transit fees is causing disruption to oil deliveries from Russia to
Poland, the Economics Ministry said Monday.
Russian oil supplies are delivered to Poland through
the Przyjazn pipeline that crosses Belarus.
Energy supplies should not be used to threaten
Belarus
MOSCOW, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) --
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Sunday that energy supplies
should not be used as a means to threaten
his country, reports from Minsk said.
Although Belarus does not produce petroleum and natural gas, other
countries should not use energy supplies to threaten the Belarussian people,
Lukashenko told a religious gathering in the capital. Full Story>>
EU says "no immediate risk" for oil supplies despite
Belarus-Russia row
BRUSSELS, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU)
said on Monday that the disruption of oil supplies from Russia to the EU through
Belarus posed "no immediate risk" to energy supplies in the bloc.
EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs was in close
contact with Polish, German, Slovak and other European authorities to evaluate
the impact following an interruption of oil supplies from a pipeline running
through Belarus to Poland and Western Europe, Piebalgs' spokesman Ferran
Tarradellas Espuny said. Full Story>>
Germany
confirmed oil pipeline closed
BERLIN, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Germany
confirmed here on Monday that the transit of Russian oil to Poland, Germany and Ukraine through
Belarus had come to a halt.
An Economics Ministry spokesman said, "We have no information on the
cause." Full Story>>
Germany concerned over Druzhba pipeline closure
BERLIN, Jan 8 (Xinhua) -- Germany
expressed its concern on Monday over the closure of the Druzhba Pipeline earlier
in the day, hoping supplies through the pipeline
will resume as soon as possible.
"I view the closure of the important Druzhba Pipeline with
concern. I expect supplies through the pipeline to be fully resumed as quickly
as possible," German Economics Minister Michael Glos said in a statement. Full Story>>
Poland
to seek compensation if oil supplies stop
WARSAW, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Poland's
deputy economy minister in charge of energy Piotr Naimski told journalists
Monday that Poland would seek compensation if the stoppage of oil supplies via the Friendship
pipeline in Belarus to Poland persisted.
According to Naimski, the stoppage resulted from a
conflict between Russia and Belarus concerning customs duties and transit fees.
Full Story>>
Hungary to release oil reserves if deliveries not
resumed
BUDAPEST, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) --
Hungarian Economics Minister JanosKoka said on Monday he would order the release
of Hungary's strategic oil reserves if deliveries from Russia through the Druzhba pipeline, halted on Monday,
are not restarted within 24 hours.
Koka and Zsolt Hernadi, the chairman of Hungarian oil company Mol, both
said the domestic supply of oil, oil products and gas would not be jeopardized
by the disruption. Full Story>>
EU
citizens favor renewable energy
BRUSSELS, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU)
citizens are very positive about renewable energies and many expect fossil fuels
to be replaced by renewable energy in the future, according to a EU survey
published on Monday.
The Eurobarometer study, published two days ahead of
the launch of the European Commission's major EU energy plan, shows that 80
percent of EU citizens support solar energy while 71 percent are in favor of
wind energy. Full
Story>>
