Latest news with #Druzhba
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU state blasts Ukraine over key pipeline attack
Hungary has lashed out at Ukraine over a drone strike on Russia's Druzhba oil pipeline system, a key supply route to EU countries, warning that the attack endangered its energy security. Druzhba is one of the world's longest networks, transporting crude some 4,000km from Russia and Kazakhstan to refineries in the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. In a post on X on Wednesday, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote that 'overnight, Ukraine launched a drone strike on a key distribution station of the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia's Bryansk Region.' According to media reports, multiple Ukrainian drones struck Russia's Bryansk Region on Tuesday night, sparking fires at several sites. One target was the Unecha station, a major hub in the Druzhba oil pipeline linking Russia and the EU. The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the attack on the pumping station in a Facebook post. Russia has so far not commented on the alleged incident. Szijjarto called the attack 'outrageous,' saying the pipeline is vital to Hungary's energy security given that the country relies on oil shipments through the system. Overnight, Ukraine launched a drone strike on a key distribution station of the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia's Bryansk is Ukraine's number one electricity supplier. Without us, the country's energy security would be highly unstable. Given this, the Ukrainian… He also noted that Hungary is Ukraine's 'number one electricity supplier' and that without it Ukraine's energy security would be 'highly unstable.' He urged Kiev to stop endangering Hungary's energy supplies and to halt strikes on routes 'in a war we Hungarians have nothing to do with.' Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian energy infrastructure throughout the conflict, including the Druzhba system. In March, the Ukrainian General Staff confirmed having targeted the oil pipeline. In January, Ukrainian forces attempted to attack a compressor station of the TurkStream pipeline, which supplies natural gas to Turkish customers and several European countries, including Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Greece. Russian officials have repeatedly condemned Ukrainian attacks on civilian energy infrastructure, labeling them acts of terrorism.
Reuters
08-08-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Kazakhstan's January-July oil exports to Germany jump 38%
MOSCOW, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's oil exports to Germany via Russia's Druzhba pipeline for January-July jumped by 38% year on year to 1.086 million metric tons (37,550 bpd), pipeline company Kaztransoil said on Friday. Reuters used a barrels per ton ratio of 7.33. Supplies through the Druzhba pipeline in July alone totalled 160,000 tons, unchanged from June and up 11,000 tons from the same month last year, the company said. Kaztransoil said that oil exports via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline in the first seven months of the year rose by 10% from the same period last year to 923,000 tons. July's volumes reached 138,000 tons, down from 148,000 tons in June. Kazakhstan sends crude by tanker across the Caspian Sea for export via the BTC, which crosses Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The route allows Kazakhstan, the world's largest landlocked country, to bypass Russia with its commodity exports. More than 80% of Kazakhstan's oil is exported through another pipeline operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). That connects the Tengiz field in western Kazakhstan and a number of others with a marine terminal near Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiisk.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The 9 Most Important Oil & Gas Pipelines in the World
Pipelines are the unsung backbone of the global energy system–quietly moving billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of gas with unmatched efficiency, reliability, and scale. In the U.S., they handle nearly 70% of all petroleum shipments, or over 14 billion barrels annually, without the headlines or volatility of seaborne trade. What makes pipelines indispensable isn't just cost or carbon footprint; it's continuity. Cross-border systems like Russia's Druzhba and Canada's Keystone aren't just conduits; they are arteries of energy security, designed to bypass naval chokepoints and harden supply resilience. These corridors knit together producers and consumers across continents, often out of sight, but never out of play. Yet pipelines also create friction lines. Infrastructure that cuts across borders or bottlenecks (Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal, Strait of Malacca) can become geopolitical flashpoints. Disruptions in these zones don't stay local. They echo globally in the form of price spikes, inventory swings, and rebalanced trade flows. Control over these assets is power. It brings not just throughput revenue, but strategic influence, something increasingly visible in cross-continental projects like the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, where infrastructure is both a commercial instrument and a geopolitical wager. As nations race to secure demand and derisk supply, pipeline politics is once again front and center. Here are the 9 most geopolitically and economically significant oil and gas pipelines in the world: Druzhba Pipeline (Russia to Central Europe) Crude oil: up to 1.2–1.4 million barrels/day Ownership: Transneft (Russia) Source: EJAtlas The Druzhba Pipeline, also known as the 'Friendship Pipeline', remains one of the largest and most geopolitically sensitive crude transport corridors in the world. Completed in 1964 to link Soviet oil fields to Warsaw Pact markets, the system now stretches over 4,000 kilometers from Russia through Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, terminating in Germany. With a peak capacity of approximately 1.4 million barrels per day, the network is supported by a series of mainline and intermediary pumping stations and tank farms totaling roughly 1.5 million cubic meters in crude storage. Druzhba has outlived its Soviet political origins but not its strategic importance. It continues to anchor Russian crude flows into Central and Eastern Europe, even as war-related disruptions and EU diversification efforts steadily erode its reliability. Several branches have been repeatedly idled, rerouted, or mothballed due to physical sabotage, sanctions-related payment bottlenecks, and commercial realignment. As of late June 2025, pipeline flows remain fractured. Reuters reported on June 26 that U.S. crude inventories had posted another unexpected drawdown, helping to lift Brent and WTI benchmarks, despite Druzhba-linked volumes to Germany falling sharply as Kazakhstan cut June deliveries to just 160,000 tonnes. ESPO Pipeline (Russia to China and the Pacific) Crude oil: ~1.0 million barrels/day to China Ownership: Transneft and Rosneft Source: EJAtlas The ESPO (Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean) pipeline is a Russian crude oil pipeline system that transports oil from Eastern Siberia to the Asia-Pacific markets. It's operated by the Russian pipeline company Transneft. The pipeline consists of two main sections: the first connects Taishet to Skovorodino, and the second connects Skovorodino to an oil export terminal at Kozmino Bay on the Pacific coast. The Skovorodino branch extends through Mohe to Daqing, China. Construction of the pipeline commenced in April 2006, with the section between Taishet and Talakan launched in reverse to pump oil from the Alinsky deposit in 2008. The initial capacity of the pipeline was 600,000 barrels per day, which increased to 1,000,000 bpd in 2016 with plans to expand it further to 1,600,000 bpd by 2025. Nord Stream 1 & 2 (Russia to Germany) Natural gas: 110 bcm/year (combined), both pipelines now inactive Ownership: Gazprom + European energy firms Source: Euronews Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 are offshore natural gas pipelines that run from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The two 1,224-kilometre pipelines offer the most direct connection between Russia's vast gas reserves and Europe's energy-hungry markets. The twin pipelines have a combined capacity to transport 55 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas per year. Located in Western Siberia on the Yamal Peninsula, the Bovanenkovo oil and gas condensate deposit supplies the bulk of the gas transported by the Nord Stream Pipelines. Bovanenkovo has estimated gas reserves of up to 4.9 trillion cubic meters. Nord Stream 1 has been operational since 2011, while Nord Stream 2, though completed in 2021, never entered service. Both pipelines have been at the center of geopolitical debate regarding energy security and European dependence on Russian gas. In September 2022, explosions damaged three of the four pipelines, leading to significant gas leaks and raising questions about sabotage. Keystone Pipeline System (Canada to U.S.) Crude oil: ~590,000 barrels/day (existing system, excluding XL) Ownership: TC Energy Source: BBC The Keystone Pipeline System is a critical and politically charged component of North America's crude oil logistics network. Now operated by South Bow, a company spun off from TC Energy's liquids division, Keystone transports crude and bitumen from Alberta's oil sands deep into the U.S. refining heartland. Its core segments connect Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Nebraska, and onward to key refining hubs in Illinois, Oklahoma, and the Gulf Coast. Phase I of the system stretches over 2,100 miles, delivering up to 590,000 barrels per day to Midwestern refineries. The broader network reaches as far as Port Arthur and Houston, Texas, integrating with the U.S. Gulf Coast's export and processing infrastructure. The controversial Keystone XL expansion, once planned to add 830,000 bpd in capacity, was canceled in 2021 following sustained regulatory and political opposition. Keystone has long stood at the intersection of energy strategy and environmental activism. Opponents argue that transporting diluted bitumen raises greater environmental and spill risks than conventional crude. Proponents counter that pipelines like Keystone enhance continental energy security, reduce reliance on seaborne imports, and support thousands of high-wage jobs in engineering, construction, and operations. BTC Pipeline (Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan) Crude oil: ~1.2 million barrels/day design capacity, ~600,000 actual Ownership: BP-led consortium Source: EBRD The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline is a 1,768-kilometer-long pipeline spanning three countries that transports crude oil from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It connects Baku, Azerbaijan, to Ceyhan, Turkey, passing through Tbilisi, Georgia. The pipeline became operational on May 25, 2005. The first phase of the pipeline was built by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline company (BTC Co) and became operational in June 2006. The Azerbaijan and Georgia sections of the pipeline are operated by BP Plc. (NYSE:BP) on behalf of its shareholders in BTC Co., while BOTAS International Limited (BIL) operates the third section. BTC originally had a throughput capacity of one million barrels per day, which BP has since expanded to 1.2 million barrels per day by using chemicals that reduce drag along the pipeline, thus allowing higher flow rates. Last year, 305 tankers lifted 29 million tonnes of crude oil from Ceyhan. TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline) Natural gas: 16 bcm/year current, expandable to 31 bcm Ownership: SOCAR, BOTA?, BP, SGC Source: Azerbaijan Ministry of Energy The Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) pipeline system is located in Turkey, stretching from the Turkey-Georgia border to the Turkey-Greece border, linking the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). The 1,811 km natural gas pipeline transports natural gas extracted in Azerbaijan to Turkey and then to Europe. The first phase of the pipeline was commissioned in June 2018, while the second phase of the pipeline was completed in November 2019. Back in 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan christened TANAP a 'regional peace project' before announcing that the pipeline had reached its maximum capacity of 32 billion cubic meters of gas annually. Iraq–Turkey Pipeline (ITP) Crude oil: ~500,000–600,000 barrels/day when operational Ownership: SOMO, Turkish Ministry of Energy Source: ZERGOGCOS Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, also known as the Iraq–Turkey Crude Pipeline (ITP), is an operating oil pipeline that runs from the City of Kirkuk in northern Iraq to the Mediterranean terminal of Ceyhan in Turkey. The first phase of the 986-kilometer pipeline was completed in 1976, while the second parallel pipeline was completed in 1987. The pipeline system has a total capacity of 1.4 million bpd, effectively making Iraq the largest supplier of oil to Turkey while also providing an alternate route for the Middle Eastern producer to export its oil. Unfortunately, last year, Turkey suspended oil flows through the ITP after the ICC ordered the country to pay Iraq ~ $1.5 billion for past oil deliveries and to suspend export of crude oil from Kurdistan transported through ITP. The pivotal pipeline has now remained closed for two years. Trans Mountain Pipeline (Canada) Crude oil and products: expanded to ~890,000 barrels/day (from 300,000) Ownership: Government of Canada Source: Trans Mountain The Trans Mountain Pipeline is a Canadian pipeline system that carries crude and refined petroleum products from Edmonton, Alberta, to the coast of British Columbia, with delivery points in Kamloops, Sumas, and Burnaby. The Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX), which doubled the pipeline's capacity, became fully operational in May 2024 The expansion of TMX was intended to lower the Canadian oil industry's reliance on US-bound pipelines and American refiners, which forced Canadian producers to accept deeper discounts for their crude as well as leaving them exposed to oil price shocks. However, TMX is facing fresh challenges. While the project has successfully opened new export markets for Canadian crude oil, particularly to Asia, some companies are hesitant to pay the higher tolls associated with the project's cost overruns. This has resulted in utilization rates below initial forecasts, though the pipeline continues to provide significant economic benefits to Canada. China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipelines Crude oil: ~440,000 barrels/day Gas: ~12 bcm/year Ownership: CNPC Source: China Center The China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipelines are a strategic bypass best considered as China's engineered response to the so-called Malacca Dilemma. Stretching roughly 800 kilometers through Myanmar, the dual pipeline corridors allow Beijing to sidestep one of Asia's most vulnerable maritime chokepoints. Crude oil sourced from the Middle East and Africa is offloaded at Myanmar's Kyaukphyu port and piped directly into Yunnan Province, while a parallel gas line channels offshore natural gas to both China and domestic Myanmar markets. This inland route offers Beijing a rare overland alternative to the heavily patrolled Strait of Malacca, through which over 80% of China's oil imports have traditionally passed. More than just a hedge against naval disruption, the pipelines support four offtake stations within Myanmar, supplying local energy needs and reinforcing bilateral interdependence. For Myanmar's government, the project has also become a vital revenue stream, anchored by steady transit fees and infrastructure payments from China. The corridor illustrates the broader logic of China's Belt and Road energy playbook: diversify routes, secure inland access, and extend regional leverage through fixed infrastructure. In an era of exposed sea lanes and shifting alliances, few links are as subtly significant. By Alex Kimani for More Top Reads From this article on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Malay Mail
27-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
How Czechs quit Russian oil without getting a black eye
NELAHOZEVES, June 28 — Holding a black belt in karate, Jaroslav Pantucek, the man in charge of Czech oil pipelines, is not afraid of tough battles. Like the ones he had to fight to wean the central European country off Russian oil in March, after more than 60 years of reliance and under EU pressure following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. 'I have completed my mission,' Pantucek, the chief executive and board chairman of the state-run Mero firm, told AFP in an interview. Until March, the EU and Nato member of 10.9 million people relied largely on the Druzhba pipeline taking Russian oil to Europe via Ukraine. When the EU moved to end its reliance on Russian fossil fuels after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Druzhba was exempted because the Czechs had few other options — though they had been working on alternatives for decades. Across the EU, Russian oil imports have shrunk from 27 per cent at the beginning of 2022 to three per cent now, European Commission data showed. 'Blackmail potential' Former Czechoslovakia — comprising today's Czech Republic and Slovakia — got connected to Druzhba in the 1960s when it was part of the Soviet bloc. But faltering supplies following the fall of the communist government in 1989 and the split of the country four years later led Prague to rethink the source. 'The first government after the (1989) revolution was already aware of the blackmail potential of Russian oil,' said Pantucek, who is 65. He joined Mero in 1997, a year after the launch of the IKL pipeline, an alternative route bringing in oil via Germany. 'I came to the job interview with a very decent black eye' from karate, chuckled Pantucek. He was already the chief executive when Druzhba suddenly curbed supplies to the Czech Republic in 2008. 'Moscow insists it was a coincidence,' Pantucek said, but he drew a link between the move and US plans to build a radar south of Prague, a thorn in Moscow's side that never materialised. The drop in supplies led Mero to consider joining a consortium running the Transalpine Pipeline (TAL) connecting the Italian port of Trieste with the IKL pipeline. 'We bought a 5-per cent stake after three years of tough talks in December 2012. It was a great success,' said Pantucek. But Prague wanted more and started planning a capacity boost that would make it even less dependent on Druzhba. Pantucek was dismissed from Mero in 2015, but he returned shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, resuming work on the TAL expansion at once. 'I felt there was no time to waste, that the moment when oil stops flowing may be near,' he said. 'Historic moment' The Czechs needed the 60-year-old TAL pipeline to run at maximum capacity for the first time ever to ensure they got the annual eight million tonnes they need. They had to persuade partners in the consortium to change the capacity-sharing rules, unchanged for decades, and adjust the regime for tankers bringing oil to Trieste. 'That was a massive mental clash,' Pantucek said. Mero offered cutting-edge pumps that reduced power consumption and maintenance costs, and got a go-ahead to draft a contract — a process that took seven months as the consortium members kept tweaking it. Czech refineries meanwhile had to adapt to non-Russian oil mixtures with lower sulphur content, currently comprising oil from Azerbaijan, the North Sea, Saudi Arabia or Iraq. The expansion swallowed 42 million euros-worth of Mero's money. 'We were pushing to have everything ready by the end of 2024,' Pantucek added. 'Druzhba never worked 24/7, in fact it was off pretty often. But I had a gut feeling that it may stop completely. And somebody up there helped us I guess.' On March 3 this year, Pantucek had a call from TAL confirming operation readiness after thorough tests. 'On March 4, I came to work and my colleagues told me Druzhba was off. And I said, look, this is a historic moment.' Pantucek is leaving his future at Mero open as he has reached retirement age and the political situation may change after October's general election. 'I can take it easy now,' he said. 'I've done my job.' — AFP
Reuters
28-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Slovak refiner will continue supplies to Czech Republic after sanctions waiver ends
May 28 (Reuters) - Slovak refinery Slovnaft has secured alternative crude supplies to maintain diesel exports to the Czech market after the June 5 expiry of an EU exemption that allowed it to export products derived from Russian oil, parent company MOL ( opens new tab said. Slovnaft exports about half of its production, and has been using primarily Russian oil supplied via the Druzhba pipeline, using a temporary exemption from EU sanctions which allowed it to process the oil for the domestic and export markets. After June 5, it will not be allowed to export Russian oil-based products, but can still use them on the domestic market. The 124,000 barrels-per-day Slovnaft refinery has made technological changes and secured alternative crude supplies to continue exporting to the Czech Republic, MOL said. "Slovnaft will continue to supply the Czech market even after the derogation expires, thanks to... investments delivered by MOL Group in recent years to make its refining technology more flexible," it said in emailed responses to Reuters questions. Imports from Slovakia account for about 10% of overall Czech demand for diesel, which totalled 5.4 million metric tons in 2024, according to the Czech Statistical Office. Slovnaft processed 5.3 million tons of oil in 2023, the last data available, of which 0.8 million were non-Russian. It imports alternative sea-delivered crudes through the Adria pipeline from Croatia. "MOL Group is constantly looking for alternative supply solutions and routes," MOL said. "For example, the oil trading agreement between MOL and (Hungarian energy firm) MVM could increase the volume of Azerbaijani crude oil imported into the region by 160,000 tons per year." MOL did not specify how the balance of Druzhba and Adria flows to Slovnaft was expected to change from next month. Slovakia imported 4.83 million tons of oil in 2024, out of which 4.18 million tons were from Russia, according to data from the Slovak Statistical Office. Slovakia and Hungary have been keen to keep oil and gas imports from Russia, thanks to derogations from EU sanctions taking into account bottlenecks on other supply routes, and have resisted EU plans to scrap the exemptions.
