Ukrtransnafta, the state-owned operator of oil transport infrastructure, has reported the technological readiness of Ukraine`s Odesa-Brody main oil pipeline, linking the Ukrainian port city of Odesa at the Black Sea and the town of Brody on the Ukrainian-Polish border, to launch oil transits through the Ukrainian territory from Azerbaijan to the Central European countries, the company`s press service said in response to UNIAN`s inquiry.
”The company`s infrastructure is ready from a technical point of view to start the transportation of Azerbaijani oil … The Odesa-Brody main oil pipeline is filled with technological oil of Azeri Light grade [Azerbaijan`s light oil grade intended for export] and is ready to transport oil to the Brody station,” the statement read.
”Currently, Ukrtransnafta is conducting intense negotiations with the Azerbaijani side and other stakeholders concerning the establishment of new transport routes for Azerbaijani oil to European consumers through the territory of Ukraine,” the press service reported.
As UNIAN reported earlier, in January-June 2016, Ukrtransnafta reduced oil transportation volumes by 17%, to 7.2 million tonnes. With the aim of stabilizing or boosting oil transit, the energy ministry and Ukrainian president held talks with Iran and Azerbaijan to consider the possibility of arranging the transit of oil from those countries via Ukraine`s Odesa-Brody oil pipeline.
On July 14, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said his country was interested in the restoration of the Odesa-Brody pipeline project to enable the supply of Azerbaijani oil to the European market.
On August 2, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh stated his country was ready to assess the feasibility of transit shipments of its crude oil to the Czech Republic and Slovakia via Ukraine.
Before the start of negotiations with Iran, on June 27, Ukraine`s Energy Ministry approved a feasibility study of the project worth UAH 177.9 million for the construction of oil storage tanks to be located at the Brody station.
On August 4, Ukraine`s Energy Minister Nasalyk said Iran was ready to transport its oil to Europe via Ukraine, using the idle capacity of the Odesa-Brody oil pipeline.
UNIAN memo. The Odesa-Brody oil pipeline has the capacity of 14.5 million tonnes of oil per year. The pipeline is integrated with the Yuzhny marine terminal, which is located at the port of Yuzhny in Odesa region. This allows accepting oil from the Black Sea water area, with its subsequent transport through the pipeline infrastructure.
Yuzhny terminal has a capacity of 14.5 million tonnes of oil per year, and the capacity of its reservoir park amounts to 200,000 cubic meters, which fully ensures the proper technological regime for oil transit through the Odesa-Brody main oil pipeline.
