The Mozyr Refinery in Belarus started refining of marketable oil and is increasing the capacity utilization to the optimal limit, Belneftekhim Company reports.

Axar.az reports citing TASS.

"On May 11, 2019, the Mozyr Refinery involves in processing oil with quality indicators meeting the standard and starts increasing capacity utilization to the optimal value," Belneftekhim says. The oil pipeline operator Gomeltransneft Druzhba also "continues oil pumping over one line of the main oil pipeline in the direction of Ukraine," the Belarusian company reports. Naftan, another Belarusian refinery, is working with the reduced utilization rate. "Oil pumped over the non-contaminated Surgut-Polotsk oil pipeline is not sufficient for the optimal load of the company," Belneftekhim, says.

Gomeltransneft Druzhba "is ready to increase volumes of oil transit pumping," the Belarusian company says. The pipeline operator performs sampling of each lot of incoming Russian crude oil. Results of analysis evidence oil conformity to the state standard.

On April 19, Belarusian concern Belneftekhim reported a sharp deterioration of the quality of the Russian oil running through the Druzhba oil pipeline and subsequently informed pipeline operators from other countries about the situation. The content of organochloride compounds in oil was dozens of times above the limit value, the company said.

On April 23, Belarus suspended exports of light oil products to Ukraine, Poland and Baltic countries due to poor quality oil supplied to its refineries. Poland also refused to accept Russian crude delivered via the Druzhba pipeline. On April 29, the Russian oil, which complies with the technical regulations, reached the Unecha line operation dispatcher station of the Druzhba pipeline, near the border with Belarus.

The Druzhba oil pipeline system supports oil deliveries to Belarusian refineries and oil transit to Europe via Belarus in two directions, through Poland and Ukraine.