MOSCOW, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Belarusian oil company
Belorusneft has cancelled its 2022 export plans to Germany via
the Druzhba pipeline following new European Union sanctions on
the company, three traders familiar with the matter said on
Friday.
On Dec. 2, the EU imposed sanctions on several Belarusian
individuals and entities, including Belorusneft. The new
sanctions are aimed at increasing the pressure on President
Alexander Lukashenko, accused by Western governments of rigging
his election, ordering a massive crackdown on the opposition and
pushing Middle Eastern migrants towards the border with Poland.
Lukashenko denies the allegations.
Belorusneft exports most of its relatively modest oil
production to Germany on a regular basis using Russia's Druzhba
pipeline. In October-December, Belarus could supply about
450,000 tonnes of oil to Germany, according to the quarterly
schedule. Trading firms supply the oil to the PCK Schewdt
refinery in Germany, owned by Russia's Rosneft and
Italy's Eni.
In November, Belorusneft issued a sales tender for 2022
supplies to Germany. But it only sold a part of the planned
export volume, some 40,000 tonnes per month, to Shell,
traders said. After the sanctions were announced, the companies
cancelled the supply plans for 2022, two of the traders said.
Belorusneft did not respond to requests for comment. A Shell
spokesperson said the company "complies with all relevant
sanctions and all applicable laws" and declined further comment.
Belorusneft may divert oil eyed for export to its domestic
refineries, traders said, which would result in lower Russian
oil supplies to the country.
Shell could offset oil volumes expected from Belorusneft
with its own production in Russia, traders said. Shell is a
shareholder in Russian oil company Salym Petroleum Development.
(Reporting by Olga Yagova and Gleb Gorodyankin
Editing by Mark Potter)