Druzhba oil pipeline partially shut after leak

“The cause of the incident is not known for the moment. Pumping in the affected line was immediately stopped. Line 2 of the pipeline is functioning normally,” the operator said.

The German government said oil deliveries were continuing to two key refineries, despite the leak. “Germany’s security of supply is currently guaranteed … Deliveries are uninterrupted,” the economy ministry said in a statement.

The leak on an underground segment of the Druzhba pipeline was detected late on Tuesday near the village of Zurawice about 110 miles to the west of Warsaw.

A Pern spokesperson, Katarzyna Krasinska, told AFP that firefighters were pumping out the spilled oil, “which could take several hours”. The pipeline mainly supplies two refineries in Schwedt and Leuna in Germany.

The Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline network was started in the 1960s and covers 3400 miles, pumping oil from the Urals to Europe through two main branches via Belarus and Ukraine.

Germany said on Wednesday it was receiving less oil but still had adequate supplies. Warsaw said it was probably caused by an accident rather than sabotage.

Poland's top official for energy infrastructure said there are no grounds to believe the leak was an act of sabotage. "Here we can talk about accidental damage," Mateusz Berger said.

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