Leak detected in pipeline that brings Russian oil to Germany

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — An oil leak was detected on a pipeline in Poland that’s the primary route by which Russian crude reaches Germany, the pipeline’s Polish operator stated Wednesday.

The operator, PERN, stated it detected a leak within the Druzhba pipeline on Tuesday night 70 kilometers (45 miles) from the central Polish metropolis of Plock. It stated the reason for the leak wasn’t identified.

The incident follows leaks late final month within the Nord Stream 1 and a couple of gasoline pipelines operating alongside the Baltic seabed, and amid an vitality standoff between Russia and the West over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Denmark and Sweden say these pure gasoline pipelines had been attacked with giant quantities of explosives.

The Druzhba pipeline, which in Russian means “Friendship,” is among the world’s longest oil pipelines. After leaving Russia, it branches out to convey crude to factors together with Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Austria and Germany.

A Polish authorities safety official, Stanislaw Zaryn, stated the leak may very well be the results of an accident, however that officers had been nonetheless investigating and had been all attainable explanations.

“Totally different situations are attainable. We don’t exclude any of them,” he informed The Related Press.

Firefighters had been working in cornfields close to the village of Zurawice to find out the precise level of the leak, based on a spokesman for firefighters, Brig. Karol Kierzkowski. He informed the state information broadcaster TVP Data that roughly 400 cubic meters of spilled crude had been pumped out, and transmission alongside the road had been blocked off.

Germany’s Economic system Ministry stated that Berlin’s provides are at the moment safe, with two German refineries persevering with to obtain provides by way of the Druzhba pipeline. It stated reserves at these two refineries have been elevated in latest weeks, and that each can, if wanted, be equipped by way of the German port of Rostock and the Polish port of Gdansk.

Final yr, Russia accounted for round 35% of Germany’s crude oil provide. However that proportion has been lowered following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February. Germany’s focus now could be on phasing out the remaining provides earlier than a European Union embargo on most Russian imports goes into impact. An European Union embargo on most Russia oil goes into impact on Dec. 5.

A month in the past, the German authorities took management of three refineries owned by Russian vitality firm Rosneft, which account for about 12% of Germany’s oil refining capability.