ALBAWABA – Polish oil pipeline operator PERN announced that a leak has been detected Saturday evening in one of the Druzhba pipelines, conveying oil from Russia to Europe, news agencies reported Sunday.
The company announced the suspension of all pumping operations through the leaking pipeline, PEN said in a statement carried by Reuters.
The leak was detected near Chodecz, central Poland, on one of the two lines of the western section of the Druzhba through which crude oil reaches Germany, PERN said.
The company said other Druzhba assets, including the Pomeranian section that is used to pump crude oil to Germany via tankers, are operating normally, Bloomberg reported.
Meanwhile, firefighters and PERN emergency services are at the scene of the incident, securing the area, the company said.
"PERN services have dug to the place where the pipeline was damaged. Preparatory work is underway to repair the line," PERN posted on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday morning, according to Reuters.
The Druzhba oil pipeline is one of the world's largest and can carry 2 million barrels per day, as per Reuters. The total capacity of the western section of both lines, carrying oil from central Poland to Germany, is 27 million tonnes of crude oil per year.
Europe has been on high alert over the security of its energy infrastructure after Russia invaded Ukraine last year. As well as since major leaks were found in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines running from Russia to Europe under the Baltic Sea.
