Ukrtransnafta has launched pumping Azeri Light oil through the Odessa-Brody pipeline in the designed averse direction for the refineries in the West Ukraine, UNIAN reported with reference to the Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Ministry.
A tanker with 80,000 tons of Azerbaijani oil destined for recycling has already arrived in Odessa. Neftekhimik Prikarpatya (Nadvornaya, Ivano-Frankovsk region) and NPK-Galichina (Drogobych, Lviv region) will receive 60,000 tons and 20,000 tons of oil, respectively, in May 2011.
The light oil supplies will allow to increase the load capacity of the Ukrainian oil transport, particularly, the Odessa-Brody pipeline and ensure uninterrupted operation of the Ukrainian refineries.
Ukraine and Azerbaijan reached an agreement on the Azerbaijani oil deliveries to Ukraine during President Viktor Yanukovych's visit to Baku in April 2011.
Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko said the Azerbaijani oil deliveries will enhance energy security and ensure the load of domestic oil pipelines.
"We actively implement policies aimed to execute the state program to diversify oil supply sources to Ukraine up to 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 its 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 Industry and Energy Minister Natig Aliyev and Yuriy Boyko signed the Agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan and Ukraine on measures to promote cooperation in the oil transportation through Ukraine in Davos in January 2011.