Azernews.Az

KYIV – Ukrtransnafta has launched pumping Azerbaijani oil through the Odessa-Brody pipeline in the averse mode for the refineries in western Ukraine, UNIAN news agency reported with reference to the Ukrainian energy ministry.

A tanker with 80,000 tons of Azeri Light oil destined for refining has arrived in Odessa at the Black Sea. The Neftekhimik Prikarpatya refinery based in the Ivano-Frankovsk region and NPK-Galichina based in the Lviv region will receive 60,000 tons and 20,000 tons of oil, respectively, in the coming days.

Ukraine and Azerbaijan reached an agreement on Azerbaijani oil deliveries to Ukraine during President Viktor Yanukovich’s visit to Baku in April.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Yury Boyko said Azerbaijani oil deliveries will enhance energy security and ensure the load of domestic oil pipelines.

"We actively pursue policies aiming to execute the state program to diversify oil supply sources to Ukraine until 2015 and we use domestic transit facilities. All this contributes to strengthening the country’s energy security and filling the budget from the use of transit facilities, in this case, the Odessa-Brody pipeline. This once again confirms Ukraine’s significant potential in the implementation of the Euro-Asian transport corridor," Boyko said.

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Natig Aliyev and his Ukrainian counterpart Yury Boyko signed an agreement in Davos in January on measures to promote cooperation in the area of oil transportation through Ukraine.