(Reuters) – Polish operator PERN has detected a leak in one pipeline in the Druzhba system that carries oil from Russia to Europe, it said on Wednesday, an event that will add to concerns about Europe’s energy security after the Nord Stream gas pipeline leak.
Below are a few facts about the pipeline:
* Druzhba is one of the largest oil pipelines in the world, and was built by the Soviet Union.
* It starts in central Russia and connects West Siberian oil fields to major refineries in Europe.
* It has capacity to pump more than 2 million barrels per day (bpd) but has been severely under-utilised in recent months amid worsening Russia-Western ties. * The Druzhba pipeline splits into two legs with the bigger, northern one going to Poland and Germany. This section has been pumping around 2 million tonnes, or 490,000 bpd, in recent months.
* The southern leg supplies Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. This has been pumping around 1 million tonnes a month, or 245,000 bpd.
* The pipeline crosses Belarus, which also takes some of the oil.
* For a FACTBOX on how German refineries seek to operate without Russian crude, see
(Editing by Edmund Blair and Mark Potter)
