MOL Announces Capacity Tests on Adria Pipeline Will Start Next Week
Hungary's oil and gas company MOL said on Friday that capacity tests on the Adria oil pipeline from Croatia will start on March 11 and last 10 months, as it seeks alternative routes with Russian crude supplies set to stop at the end of 2027.MOL, which operates refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, has questioned whether the Adria pipeline can meet its needs, concerns dismissed by Croatian operator JANAF.Hungary and Slovakia are keen to keep supplies coming from Russia and have exemptions from current European Union sanctions. Adria would…
MOL, Slovnaft Report JANAF to EU Watchdog in Fight Over Russian Oil Transport
Hungarian oil company MOL and its Slovak subsidiary Slovnaft have reported Croatian oil pipeline operator JANAF to the EU competition watchdog over its refusal to allow the transit of Russian seaborne oil imports, they said on Wednesday.The Hungarian oil and gas group has grappled since the end of January with an outage of Russian crude deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline transiting Ukraine, and has had to rely more on the Adriatic pipeline from Croatia.Hungary and Slovakia have been given exemptions to EU restrictions on Russian oil to give them time to diversify supplies.
Ukraine Delays Druzhba Oil Deliveries Again
Ukraine has told Slovakia's oil pipeline system operator Transpetrol that the resumption of oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline has been delayed by another day to February 26, Slovakia's country's economy ministry said on Tuesday.The ministry, which had expected flows to restart on February 25, said it was not given a reason for the latest delay.Slovakia announced the Druzhba pipeline outage on February 13, long after shipments of Russian oil via Slovakia and Hungary were cut off last month when Kyiv said a Russian drone strike hit pipeline equipment in western Ukraine.Slovakia initially expected flows to resume shortly after its public announcement.
Czechia Offers Limited Oil to Slovakia After Ukraine Pipeline Attack
The Czech Republic is offering small volumes of oil to Slovakia through an eastward flow of the Druzhba pipeline after westward flows from Ukraine were stopped after an attack on the pipeline last month, Czech Economy Minister Karel Havlicek said on Tuesday.The Czechs stopped using Russian supplies via Druzhba last year after expanding an alternative route, and have mentioned reversing the flow of the Czech section of the pipeline to Slovakia as a theoretical possibility.Havlicek told Reuters a "certain small amount" could be delivered to Slovakia right away, but larger amounts would require technical adjustments, which he said he had discussed with Slovak Prime
EU: Hungary, Slovakia to See No Short-Term Oil Supply Risk
The European Commission sees no short-term risk to the security of oil supplies in Hungary or Slovakia following the disruption of Russian oil flows via Ukraine because both EU countries have ample emergency stocks, a Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday.Slovakia's government also said its domestic fuel supply was not under threat, alleviating fears of an immediate fuel crunch after Kyiv's foreign ministry last week said a Russian attack on a Ukrainian pipeline was responsible for the halt to Russian oil flows to Eastern Europe since January 27.Hungary has accused Ukraine of switching off power to that section of the pipeline…
Hungary, Slovakia Turn to Croatia to Secure Russian Oil
Hungary and Slovakia have asked Croatia to help them secure Russian oil and Hungarian company MOL initiated the release of strategic crude reserves after disruption to flows via Ukraine that the two countries have blamed on Kyiv.Kyiv's foreign ministry last week said a Russian attack on a Ukrainian pipeline was responsible for the halt in flows to Eastern Europe since January 27.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted a photo on X of firefighters and what he said was Druzhba pipeline infrastructure burning, accusing Hungary…
Poland Working on Deal to Import US LNG to Support Ukraine, Slovakia
Poland is working on a deal to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S. to supply Ukraine and Slovakia, an agreement that would further tighten the European Union’s ties to American energy, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations.Officials expect to announce a joint declaration to boost imports after a meeting of the parties at a transatlantic energy conference in Athens later this week, one of the sources said."After that, discussions would follow on terms for supplies to Slovakia," one of the sources told Reuters.
Russian Oil Supplies to Hungary and Slovakia Halted After Ukraine Attack
Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia could be suspended for at least five days after a Ukrainian strike on a facility in Russia, Hungarian and Slovakian officials said on Friday, in a widening of the fallout of Russia's war in Ukraine.Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, hitting Ukrainian domestic heating supplies, Russia's Druzhba pipeline and other facilities, over the past few weeks as U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed for a deal to end the conflict.The European Union reduced…