Who is to blame for the fact that poor-quality oil got into the Druzhba pipeline and how to avoid such incidents in the future? Vladimir Putin asked the head of Transneft, Nikolay Tokarev, these questions in the Kremlin today. As it turned out, the incident occurred due to an imperfection of the control system. It will be changed.
Dmitry Petrov has the details.
The President summoned the head of Transneft, Nikolay Tokarev, to discuss how to remedy the situation with contaminated oil, which got into the Druzhba pipeline and was shipped to Europe via Belarus.
Vladimir Putin: Nikolay Petrovich, let's begin with the report on the Druzhba pipeline.
Nikolay Tokarev, President of Transneft: We conducted an internal investigation. We found that it was a private enterprise in Samara Oblast. In this case, in violation of all technological regulations, the company deliberately supplied oil that didn't undergo product preparation.
- Deliberately?
- I think that this was a fraudulent scheme. As of now, all of the materials are transferred to an FSB department in Samara Oblast, operational and investigative actions are being carried out. Everything will become clear very soon.
Most likely, the incident occurred at the Lopatino line operation dispatcher station, which is in the south of Samara. The Druzhba pipeline goes through there. The oil discharge and mixing unit are also located there. It's when oil from the local fields of Samara, Ulyanovsk, and Orenburg Oblasts are pumped into the common pipe. The work at the enterprise is now suspended. There are only guards on its territory.
It's already known that the impurities occurred as a result of adding organochlorine compounds, many of which belong to the strongest poisons. Belarus and Ukraine suspended the transit of oil via the pipeline. Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland, as well as buyers in the Ust-Luga Port, refused to receive it.
Vladimir Putin: "So, the company doesn’t have any control mechanism to check the oil as it enters the pipeline system? Listen, they cheated but we suffered huge economic, material, and reputational damage!"
Nikolay Tokarev, President of Transneft: “Yes, I agree. I don't relieve Transneft of the responsibility for that incident. But the instructions and regulations are made for people to duly comply with them. There was criminal intent in this case. The criminal case has been already opened.”
Putin demands more control.
Vladimir Putin: It means that self-control isn't enough, this is what I mean. This system needs to be changed.
Nikolay Tokarev, President of Transneft: An interdepartmental group, created on the Prime Minister's instruction, will propose measures that further improve control over the reception of oil to the main pipeline system that should be included in the regulatory framework, sectoral regulations.
- Please make sure this is done and report to the Prime Minister.
To remedy the consequences of the discharge, Transneft cooperated with the Ministry of Energy, oil companies, and partners from Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland.
Nikolay Tokarev, President of Transneft: "Today, spec oil was already supplied to Belarus. The Novopolotsk oil refinery receives oil via Surgut. So, the situation has been more or less resolved. Railroads also help us remove off-spec oil from Belarus".
According to Tokarev, the situation will be brought back to normal in the near future and Druzhba will function as usual.
Dmitry Petrov, Natalia Lundovskaya for Vesti.
