Tainted oil from Azerbaijan reaches Czechia

Euractiv

31-07-2025

PRAGUE – Contaminated oil with excessive levels of organic chlorides from Azerbaijan has reached Czechia via the TAL pipeline, but authorities say refinery operations or fuel supply remain unaffected.
The contamination was confirmed by oil processor Orlen Unipetrol, pipeline operator Mero, and the Administration of State Material Reserves, all of whom stressed there is no risk to refinery operations, infrastructure, or fuel supplies.
Mero spokesperson Barbora Putzová told the Czech News Agency that 'oil poses no risk' to its tanks or pipelines. Orlen Unipetrol, together with Mero, plans to store nearly 60,000 cubic metres of the contaminated oil to gradually blend it with other deliveries in carefully measured proportions for safe processing, said company spokesperson Pavel Kaidl.
Czechia faced a similar incident in 2019, when it halted Russian oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline for two months due to contamination that required extensive pipeline cleaning. This time, however, the infrastructure is unaffected, and no disruption is expected.
Similar contamination has also been reported by Austria's OMV and Italy's Eni. OMV, for its part, said the contamination was caught early and had no impact on operations.
Organic chlorides, used in oil production to clean wells and increase crude flow, must be removed before entering pipelines due to the risk of corrosion and equipment damage. The source of the current contamination remains under investigation.