Czech Republic eyes importing Ukrainian oil through Druzhba pipeline

The Czech Republic is reviewing importing Ukrainian oil through the Druzhba pipeline starting from as early as the end of this year.

The Polish Orlen company, which owns Czech refineries, is currently holding negotiations with the Ukrainian side regarding a possible purchase of crude oil, Caliber.Az reports citing Czech media outlets.

According to those publications, the deal is complicated by transportation issues currently being discussed between Orlen Unipetrol, the Czech state company Mero, and the Slovak operator Transpetrol.

The proposal has reportedly been initiated by Ukraine, where Russian strikes have nearly destroyed all oil refineries. For Orlen, purchasing Ukrainian crude would be both a show of support for Ukraine and a profitable business opportunity due to the lower price.

Initial reports suggest that the supplies could reach 75,000–100,000 tons per month, which is less than 15% of Czechia’s annual consumption. Ukrainian oil is similar in composition to Russian oil, which Orlen stopped buying entirely in June after the termination of its last contract with Rosneft.

The Druzhba Pipeline is one of the biggest crude oil pipeline networks in the world, stretching over 5500 kilometres. The official beginning of the Druzhba network is in Almetyevsk in Russia, where pipelines carrying crude oil from Siberia, the Urals and the Caspian Sea meet. It carries oil to Belarus, where it splits into a northern and a southern branch.

The northern branch continues via Belarus and Poland to Germany, while the southern branch runs through Ukraine, splitting into Druzhba 1 and 2 to carry fuel to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has previously announced the country's full independence from Russian oil imports thanks to the increased capacity of the Transalpine Pipeline (TAL).

By Nazrin Sadigova