Following new sanctions against the Russian economy, oil giant PKN Orlen announced that its partner had stopped supplying oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
Polish oil giant PKN Orlen announced on Saturday that its Russian partner had stopped supplying oil to it through the Druzhba pipeline under the last valid contract, which covered about 10% of the group’s needs.
“Supplies via the Druzhba pipeline to Poland have been stopped by the Russian side,” the Polish group said in a statement to AFP.
Thus, “PKN Orlen will not receive [plus] Oil from Russia”, it says in this text.
The shutdown comes a day after the European Union passed a new set of sanctions aimed at hitting the Russian economy and Iranian companies accused of aiding the just-launched invasion of Ukraine.
No impact on supply to Polish customers
The group stopped importing Russian oil by sea a year ago. However, Orlen assured that this shutdown will have no impact on supplies to Polish customers and that “all deliveries are possible [désormais] be provided by sea” from other suppliers.
Poland has largely diversified its gas and oil supply for several years. PKN Orlen imports oil by sea “from the North Sea, West Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, but also from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Mexico”.
The group signed a “strategic oil supply agreement” with Saudi Aramco last year.
The only contract that is still valid
Two weeks ago, Deputy State Treasury Minister Maciej Malecki admitted that the contract with Russia’s Tatneft group, which expired at the end of 2024, covered “about 10% of Orlen’s needs,” or 200,000 tons of oil per month, transported through the Druzhba pipeline.
The statement drew attention from Poland, a staunch supporter of Russia’s oil embargo since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which boasted last year of having a “radical plan” to end Russian oil imports by the end of 2022.
Maciej Malecki then assured that the contract with Tatneft was “the only one” still in force.