Russian oil supplies to Europe via Druzhba pipeline halved – Transneft

Oil supplies from Russia to Europe via the Druzhba pipeline halved because of a breakdown in Belarus, Russian state-owned oil pipeline monopoly Transneft said.

Transneft says the Druzhba pipeline breakdown may hinder April supplies to Europe but they would be made up in May.

There was a leak in one of the pipes of the Druzhba pipeline near the Bobovichi pumping station in Belarus on Sunday evening, according to Transneft.

DETAILS: Stricken Druzhba pipeline one of longest in world, connects Western Siberia to Europe http://t.co/iD9Rj00sfppic.twitter.com/cpHR2LpEqX

— RT (@RT_com) April 27, 2015

Repair work is underway and is expected to be finished by approximately 15:00 local time said Transneft spokesman Igor Demin.

There is no information on the amount of oil spilled and any environmental damage, Demin said.

"We don't know how much oil has been spilled. Shipments declined both in the northern and southern parts of the Druzhba pipeline, it also affected the Mozyr oil refinery,” he added.

The is nothing to worry about right now, Demin told RT by phone, adding that consumers should not notice the reduced oil supplies.

At over 4,000 kilometers Druzhba is the world’s longest pipeline carrying oil from the eastern part of European Russia to Europe. It has two parts – the northern route runs through Belarus, Poland, Germany, Latvia and Lithuania, and a southern route through Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia.