Belneftekhim: Belarus agrees with Russia on oil import for Q3

Belarus is to receive 5.75 million tons of crude oil from Russia in the third quarter of 2013, reported the press office of the Belarusian State Petrochemical Industry Concern (Belnaftakhim).

An agreement to this effect was reached by Belnaftakhim’s head, Ihar Zhylin, and Russian Deputy Energy Minister Kirill Molodtsov as a result of talks on June 13 and 14, the press office said.

As much as 5.3 million tons of oil will reportedly be supplied to Belarus via pipelines.

The agreement will allow the two Belarusian oil refineries to operate at full capacity, the press office noted.

In September, Belarus and Russia will hold talks to decide how much oil Belarus will receive in 2014.

Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Surikov told BelaPAN this past April that contracts on the supply of crude oil from Russia to Belarus had been signed on a quarterly basis in 2013 to prevent Belarus from resuming its practice of exporting diesel fuel and other petroleum products under the guise of solvents, diluents and lubricants.

Earlier this month, Mr. Surikov told reporters that a decision on how much crude oil Russia was to supply to Belarus in the third quarter of 2013 or in the latter half of the year should be made before June 15.

Belarus’ wish to receive 23 million tons of oil from Russia this year has been taken into account, with the country getting 5.75 million tons of crude oil in both the first and the second quarters based on the assumption that the same amounts would be supplied to it in the third and fourth quarters, Mr. Surikov said.

Mr. Molodtsov told reporters on Monday that Russia was expected to supply 18.5 million tons of oil to Belarus via pipelines in 2013 and receive 2.1 million tons of petroleum products from it. “In the first quarter of 2013 there was less than 5.75 million tons,” he said. “There was 5.75 million tons in the second quarter. In the third quarter, we’ll work in accordance with agreements. They will be announced today or tomorrow.”

Interfax-Zapad reported a few hours before Mr. Molodtsov’s interview that no agreement on oil supply to Belarus in the third quarter had been reached because of Russia’s stance. “The energy ministry of Russia insists that its government has not given it any instructions to hold talks on this issue with Belarusians,” a source in the Belarusian energy ministry was quoted as saying.