Russia has suspended oil deliveries to Poland through the Druzhba pipeline in response to the Polish government’s decision to supply its Leopard tanks to Ukraine, Reuters has reported.
Polish refiner PKN Orlen’ chief executive said the company would explore alternative means to fill the gap.
PKN Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek tweeted: “We’re effectively securing supplies. Russia has halted supplies to Poland, for which we are prepared. Only 10% of crude oil has been coming from Russia and we will replace it with oil from other sources.”
Despite sanction on many gas pipelines, supply to Poland by Russia through the Druzhba pipeline was exempted by the European Union.
The company, however, claimed that it could completely supply its refineries by sea and that the pipeline supply halt would not have an impact on its ability to deliver gasoline and diesel to its customers.
After a contract with Russian energy company Rosneft ended in February, Orlen began receiving oil through a deal with Russian oil pipeline monopoly Tatneft.
A request for comment from Reuters was not answered by Transneft.
The termination of the pipeline gas supply comes after US President Joe Biden’s visit to Warsaw and Kyiv last week, where he publicly supported Ukraine’s stand against Russia.
It is claimed that PKN Orlen now receives supplies from Western Africa, the Mediterranean, the Gulf, and the Gulf of Mexico.
As of 2022, the refining company also had a place in a delivery agreement with Saudi Aramco.
Poland receives its seaborne supplies through Naftoport, an oil terminal in Gdansk on the Baltic Sea. The oil terminal can handle 36 million tonnes of oil per annum.
