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Russia's Tatneft increases oil exports to Slovakia and Hungary, Kommersant says

Russian business, primarily Tatneft, have actually boosted oil exports to Slovakia and Hungary to replace materials lost after Ukraine sanctions halted exports from Moscowbased Lukoil, Kommersant paper stated on Thursday.

Lukoil was prohibited by Kyiv from utilizing the part of the Druzhba, or Friendship, pipeline that goes through Ukrainian territory, partially providing Hungarian and Slovakian refineries.

The two landlocked nations alerted of possible fuel lacks from September unless an option was found.

Hungarian energy company MOL has still not received required oil volumes, including for the Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava, Kommersant reported, mentioning unnamed sources.

Tatneft did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

State-owned Russian pipeline operator Transneft, which deals with Russian oil materials via Druzhba and certifies the suppliers, did not respond immediately to a request for confirmation of Tatneft supplies replacing Lukoil's volumes.

Fuel consultancy ExPro has stated that the amount of Russian oil flowing to European countries via Ukraine rose to 1.09 million metric loads in July from 540,000 lots in June after complaints by Hungary and Slovakia about a big drop.

Kommersant stated that Tatneft increased oil materials via the southern spur of the Druzhba pipeline to 330,000 metric loads each for Slovakia and Hungary in July.

Tatneft accounted for about 77% and 92% of Russia's total oil exports to Hungary and Slovakia respectively last month, it said, including that Russneft had actually likewise started oil supplies to Slovakia.

Ukrainian officials have said that oil flows via the route remained the same but decreased to offer specific volumes of oil transit.

(source: Reuters)