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PRAGUE: Russian crude oil flows to the Czech Republic through the Druzhba pipeline remained halted on Thursday, refiner Unipetrol said.
A spokesman said Unipetrol, a subsidiary of Poland’s Orlen , did not know the reason for the stoppage, which he said was first confirmed on Tuesday.
Refining at the Litvinov refinery, which uses Russian crude, was running using the company’s reserves which could last a week before it taps state reserves, he said.
The Czech government approved on Wednesday lending Unipetrol 330,000 metric tons of oil from state reserves.
Unipetrol and state officials have said the Druzhba halt was not affecting supplies of products to the Czech market. In 2019, the country coped with a two-month interruption of flows through Druzhba without an impact on fuel supplies.
Czech pipeline operator Mero said on Thursday it was still investigating the Druzhba delivery delays.
The country imports Russian crude through Druzhba and other crudes through the TAL pipeline running from Italy to Germany and on to the Czech Republic.
It wants to stop all Russian oil imports from July next year as it completes capacity expansion of the TAL pipeline.
The unexplained interruption occurred as European countries debate a possible extension of an EU exemption from sanctions on Russia that allows the Czech Republic to import diesel and other products made from Russian oil, made in neighbouring Slovakia.
The exemption lapses on Thursday, but diplomats said talks would continue on Friday.
The Czech Republic has said it was not asking for the exemption to continue but Slovakia has been keen to keep it in place.
Sources have said that if other countries are keen to extend, the Czechs may agree to a six-month extension on the Slovak diesel imports, matching the expected end of Russian crude supplies to the Czech Republic.
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