MINSK, 2 March (BelTA) – The Azerbaijani company SOCAR intends to dispatch a tanker carrying oil for Belarus from the Turkish port of Ceyhan on 5-6 March, the news agency TASS learned from Ibragim Akhmedov, Deputy Head of the Events and Public Relations Department of the Azerbaijani company.
According to the source, the company will ship a tanker with about 85,000 tonnes of oil for Belarus from Ceyhan on 5-6 March.
BelTA reported earlier that Belarus had sealed a deal with SOCAR to buy two shiploads of oil – about 160,000 tonnes. Oil will be delivered to Belarus across Ukraine via the Odessa-Brody pipeline. The Belarusian Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Ministry set tariffs on oil transportation from Ukraine to Mozyr Oil Refinery as part of preparations for pumping the oil.
Two tankers carrying 160,000 tonnes of Russian oil bought for Belarusian oil refineries through traders without paying a premium are expected to reach the Klaipeda port in March as well.
In addition to that, six Russian companies, including SAFMAR and five companies Belarus has not worked with yet, will deliver oil to Belarus in March without a premium. In particular, SAFMAR Group will ship 300,000 tonnes of oil while UDS Oil will deliver 50,000 tonnes.
Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Igor Lyashenko told BelTA that this year Belarusian oil refineries have been getting about 1 million tonnes of oil per month for processing. The same volume is expected in March.