Russian oil companies cut off oil supplies to Belarus on January 1, 2011 due to lack of contracts for this year. This was reported in the Belarusian State Concern Belneftekhim and Russian companies. In this case, traders argue of no danger for the oil transit to Europe.
«Pricing issues are being discussed with the Russian suppliers,» Belneftekhim spokesman Maria Kostyuchenko explained the cessation of pumping. «We expect that shipments will begin in January,» she said and added that the Belarusian oil refineries in Mazyr and Navapolatsk were provided with raw materials till the end of January.
In turn, Igor Demin, a spokesman for Transneft, refused to comment on cessation of the Russian oil deliveries to Belarus, Korrespondent.net reports with reference to Reuters. «It’s not our business; it is a question to oil traders. We have everything ready for pumping, we restrict nobody,» Demin said.
Meanwhile, sources in the Russian oil companies say that the cessation of raw materials’ supply to Belarus is due to the fact that oil supply contracts haven’t yet been signed. «There are no contracts. They haven’t signed anything with us so long,» a source in the oil company, which has a quota for the supply of raw materials in Belarus, informed.
Russia having imposed a 100% duty on oil exports to the Republic with extra quota on domestic consumption, the Urals supplies to Belarus fell substantially. So, Russia supplied only 12.9 million tons to Belarus in 2010 against 21.4 million tons in 2009.
Moreover, Belarus started to import Venezuelan Santa Barbara oil through the Baltic and Black Sea ports in 2010. Industry sources report that the supply of Venezuelan oil will continue in 2011: two tankers of 80 tons each will go to Odessa in January and February.
Earlier, Minister of Economic Development Elvira Nabiullina said that Russia was ready to cancel the duty on crude oil to Belarus since January 1, 2011 after the ratification of all documents on the Customs Union and Common Economic Space (CES).
In its turn, Belarus will raise tariffs for transit of Russian oil through its territory by 12.5% from the current $1.64 per ton of oil transportation over a distance of 100 kilometers since January 1, 2011.
