No contamination of Russian oil found in Slovakia

Oil transit via Slovakia is currently normal, as no contamination has been detected, state-run oil-transport operator Transpetrol has told TASR in reaction to information suggesting contaminated oil in the Druzhba pipeline. Meanwhile, Czech refiner Unipetrol has reported problems. It stopped receiving Russian oil due to contamination by chlorides. Russian crude-oil pipeline operator Transneft reported last Thursday (June 20) that more contaminated oil had been found within a section of the Druzhba pipeline from Belarus to Poland. In late April Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Ukraine and other countries halted imports of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline due to contamination. The problem arose when an unidentified Russian producer contaminated oil with a huge volume of organic chlorides that are normally used to increase oil production but must be removed before oil is sent to customers, as it could destroy their refinery facilities.