WARSAW (dpa-AFX) – After the discovery of a leak in the Druzhba oil pipeline in Poland, the operator of the line ruled out sabotage for the time being. Technicians got to the damaged area and found the hole, the Pern company announced late Wednesday evening. “According to the initial findings and the way in which the pipeline is deformed, there is no evidence of an external impact at this time,” the statement said. However, detailed analyzes are currently being carried out to determine the cause of the incident and to repair the pipeline so that oil can be pumped through the pipeline again as soon as possible.
The Polish pipeline operator had previously announced that a leak had been discovered on the Druzhba pipeline, through which oil flows from Russia to Europe. The hole is around 70 kilometers from the central Polish city of Plock. The main line through which the crude oil is delivered to Germany is affected. Until the evening hours, the fire brigade pumped large quantities of crude oil from a depression in a corn field where the oil had leaked from the underground pipeline. The incident was reminiscent of the explosions that ripped holes in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic Sea gas pipelines in late September.
The Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline is one of the largest in the world, delivering Russian oil to several countries in Central Europe. It also supplies the Schwedt refinery in Brandenburg. Their pipes run partly above and partly below ground./dhe/DP/ngu