Novak called Poland’s actions in the oil and gas market a theater of the absurd

Poland’s actions in the oil and gas market can be considered a theater of the absurd, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. Thus, he commented on the information that the Polish company Orlen filed an application withTransneft” for the supply of 3 million tons of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline in 2023.

“The theater of the absurd is what they do,” said Novak (quote according to TASS). At the same time, he did not confirm or deny the information about Poland’s request for oil supplies, noting that he himself learned about it from the media.

“Kommersant” earlier wrotethat the Polish Orlen expects to continue to receive Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline next year in the amount of 3 million tons per year, despite the statements of the Polish authorities about their intention to refuse such supplies.

Now the Polish side has completely abandoned the purchase of spot consignments of Russian oil. At the same time, long-term contracts with Tatneft and Rosneft, under which Poland receives 2.4 million and 3.6 million tons per year, respectively, continue to operate. It is specified that the contract with Tatneft expires in 2024, and with Rosneft it still has to be valid in January-February 2023.

The Druzhba pipeline was built in the 1960s. for the delivery of oil from the USSR to the countries of the socialist camp in Eastern Europe. It starts in the Samara region and passes through Bryansk, and then splits into two branches: northern and southern. The northern branch passes through Belarus to Poland, Germany and the Baltic countries, the southern branch passes through the territory of Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. According to Transneft, fuel exports via Druzhba to non-CIS countries in 2021 amounted to 35.9 million tons.

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