11:55 Russian government decides on key pipeline
The Russian Ministry of Industry and Energy has repeatedly tabled to the Russian cabinet a draft resolution on constructing the second leg of the Baltic pipeline system. The pipeline, constructed by the Transneft, would connect the town of Unecha in the Briansk region of Russia with the port town of Primorsk in Russia's Leningrad region at the Baltic Sea. The Russian buisness daily Kommersant suggests that that if the project is realized, it would allow Russia to refuse completely from the transit of its oil through Belarus and Poland through the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline. The government's meetings on this project are classified, according to the newspaper.
The project was initially designed to pump 50 million tons of crude annually. However, the revised proposal talks about 80 million tons. Currently, Russia pumps 100 million tons of oil through Unecha, including 80 million tons for Europe and 20 million tons of crude to Belarus's refineries.
The construction of the second leg of the Baltic pipeline system will allow increasing the processing capacity of the port of Primorsk up to 150 million tons of oil per year and avoid completely the transit through Belarus. The Unecha-Primorsk piepline could be finished within 1.5 years, writes Kommersant newspaper.
The project was initially designed to pump 50 million tons of crude annually. However, the revised proposal talks about 80 million tons. Currently, Russia pumps 100 million tons of oil through Unecha, including 80 million tons for Europe and 20 million tons of crude to Belarus's refineries.
The construction of the second leg of the Baltic pipeline system will allow increasing the processing capacity of the port of Primorsk up to 150 million tons of oil per year and avoid completely the transit through Belarus. The Unecha-Primorsk piepline could be finished within 1.5 years, writes Kommersant newspaper.
