Northern Druzhba Pipeline Springs Possible ‘Leak’, While Terror Threats Plague Southern Stretch

The Druzhba Pipeline, also known as the “Friendship Pipeline,” is one of the world’s largest and most critical oil pipeline systems. It transports crude oil from Russia to several European nations, including Germany, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

A report of a potential leak along the northern stretch (in Poland) of the pipeline emerged from Bloomberg on Sunday morning. At the same time, in a separate report, concerns are mounting over terrorist attempts to sabotage the southern part of the pipeline.

Bloomberg provides additional details on the unfolding incident:

Emergency workers secured the area around the pipeline near Pniewy, western Poland, after receiving information about a possible leak at around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Martin Halasz, a spokesman for the firefighters, said by phone. He was confirming an earlier report by the PAP newswire.

Representatives of pipeline operator PERN SA are on site and closed crude flows from east to west, according to Halasz. The pipeline supplies the Leuna and Schwedt refineries in Germany, which buy oil via the Polish Baltic Sea port of Gdansk. Schwedt also buys from Kazakhstan.

Russian crude on the northern stretch of the pipeline supplies Leuna and Schwedt refineries in Germany, and the southern stretch supplies Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic refineries. 

Separate from Bloomberg’s reporting, Russian media agency Tass News cited Slovakian interior minister Matus Sutaj Estok, who warned that an organized group in the area could be preparing for possible terrorist acts in the area where the Druzhba oil pipeline runs. 

“The activity that can be associated with the possible preparation of a terrorist act against the critical infrastructure [of the republic] was registered in the east of Slovakia,” Estok said, adding, activity of the group was observed in Slovakia and Hungary. 

Several weeks ago, S&P Global Commodity Insight analysts noted, “Although most European refiners supplied by the 1 million b/d Druzhba network have already stopped buying Russian crude in response to the Ukraine war, the southern branch had still been pumping around 300,000 b/d of Urals crude to three plants.”