Lithuania's Klaipedos nafta is preparing to receive a tanker with 80,000 tons of Venezuelan Santa-Barbara crude this autumn for further delivery to Belarus, company head Rokas Masyulis said, noting negotiations were under way with the Belarussian side.
"We are in talks with the Belarussian side and discussing a trial shipment - we probably do not need additional investments to carry that out, but we need to analyse the chemical make-up of the product and assess its influence on the environment. but we will probably accept the trial shipment", Masyulis told Reuters.
Belarus plans to take delivery of about 2 million tons of crude via Klaipeda, about 160,000 tons a month.
Klaipedos nafta currently pumps that amount over the course of three months and company management is concerned the terminal will not be able to handle the increased volume, the Lithuanian business daily Verslo zinios reports.
"in theory, we could load 4 million tons and not just this 2 million, but then we should decide what to do with deliveries for Orlen Lietuva; as would no longer be able to accept them", Masyulis said.
Deliveries for Orlen Lietuva currently account for 60 percent of loading at Klaipedos nafta.
