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Saturday, 25.08.2007
Russia confirms hitches in delivering oil to Germany
Moscow. Russia has admitted fluctuations in its oil pipeline deliveries to Germany. But state-owned pipeline operator Transneft denied responsibility, alledging that Lukoil was to blame for the drop in supplies.
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Repair work on the Druzhba pipeline was not the reason for any delivery shortfall, said Transneft vice-president Sergei Grigor’ev. “We could transport the agreed volume, we even currently have excess capacity,“ he said.
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Transneft disputes transport problems
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Grigorev said that any shortfall in oil was down to oil companies not having supplied the scheduled volumes. Although he named no names, it is known that Lukoil, Russia’s second biggest oil concern, has reduced its flow of oil in the pipeline.
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Lukoil ships less oil
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Lukoil is alleged to be supplying approx. one third less oil than originally agreed. The company has as yet offered no explanation for this, and will do so only in the coming days.
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From January to May, Lukoil supplied 2.4m tonnes of crude oil to German oil refineries. But in July and August, the company failed to meet its commitments, according to Transneft’s figures. German media have reported that Lukoil has in the past failed in attempts to acquire ownership of refineries in Germany.
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Schwedt refinery to be supplied via Rostock
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The shortfall in oil delivery was first noticed in Germany. A spokesman of the Schwedt refinery in northeast Germany confirmed August 23 that supplies from Russia had fallen. Schwedt is at the western end of the Druzhba pipeline. The decrease was, however, not alarming, said the spokesman, since the shortfall could be made up by oil from a pipeline from Rostock and its own reserves.
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No crisis expected
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Analysts do not see any fresh energy crisis looming. At the start of this year, Russia stopped supplying oil to Europe via Belarus, causing tension in Europe-Russia relations. New EU members in Eastern Europe called for greater energy independence from Russia.
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This time round, however, German experts are more cautious, pointing out that such drops in supplies were commonplace. There has been no threats or conflicts between the countries in recent weeks. Analysts also point out that Russia even in cold war times was always a reliable energy supplier.
(ab/.rufo/Moskau)
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