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Schwedt refinery strikes 80% capacity despite ownership doubts

Germany's Schwedt oil refinery is performing at over 80% capability in spite of uncertainty over its future ownership but market conditions indicate there is no incentive to go any greater, German state secretary Michael Kellner said.

Russian energy group Rosneft has a bulk stake in PCK Schwedt, which has generally provided 90% of the fuel utilized in Germany's capital, Berlin.

Schwedt was running at 50-60% capacity last year after Germany stopped oil products from Russia following Moscow's. intrusion of Ukraine and Berlin's decision to place the refinery,. together with other German possessions owned by Rosneft, under. federal government trusteeship.

Kellner said he welcomed Kazakhstan's offer to provide. beyond the presently devoted 100,000 lots, however that there was. a risk of Moscow disrupting products at any time through the. Druzhba pipeline that transits Russia.

I would likewise welcome it if a doubling were to occur,. Kellner stated on Monday on the sidelines of a check out to the. refinery, which co-owned by Shell and Eni.

Kazakhstan's state pipeline company KazTransOil. recently said it would minimize oil exports to Germany via the. Druzhba pipeline through Russia in July by 19% from June on a. daily basis to 100,000 metric lots, from 120,000 lots in June.

Since in 2015, Germany has been working with Poland to try. to protect supply for Schwedt via the oil terminal in Gdansk and. the Polish area of the Druzhba pipeline.

Some 70% of the refinery's oil is delivered by means of a pipeline. from Rostock while 15% comes through the Polish port of Gdansk. and another 15% through the Druzhba pipeline.

Carsten Schneider, the Federal Government's Commissioner for. Eastern Germany, said some 400 million euros state help to. upgrade the Rostock-Schwedt pipeline were earmarked in the. federal budget plan, awaiting European Commission approval.

In the light of the government's trusteeship in September. and a pending sale of Rosneft 54.17% stake in the refinery,. Kellner decreased to discuss the sale progress or Berlin's. preferred buyer however stated that the refinery would not go back to. Russian control.

What matters to me is establishing an ownership structure. that guarantees the refinery's long-lasting stability, he added.

(source: Reuters)